Frozen 2 was the most streamed movie of 2020. Like its predecessor, Frozen 2 was a smash success when it was released in theaters in November 2019. The film earned nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office, topping the first film's total gross. "Into the Unknown" was the film's spiritual successor to hit original song "Let It Go," and received an Academy Award nomination. The sequel was also praised by critics for its ability to build on the first film's strengths.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Frozen 2 had already complete its theatrical run and was waiting to be put on Disney+. Instead of waiting to release the movie on Disney+, the studio saw an opportunity and released Frozen 2 on the streamer for free weeks ahead of its planned at-home release date. At the time, Disney+ was still in its infancy, having debuted around the same time Frozen 2 hit theaters. With months of being at home ahead of viewers, though, Disney made the right call.
According to The Wrap, Frozen 2 was the top streamed film of 2020 by a mile, with Moana coming in at second place. Frozen 2 was streamed for 14.9 billion minutes, with Moana coming in at just 10.5 billion minutes. Disney dominated the list overall, with seven of the ten films being Disney owned properties. Rounding out the list is Pixar's Onward, Disney+'s Hamilton, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, and Zootopia.
Disney+ was able to get ahead of Netflix in a unique way that the long-running streamer wasn't. They had a cherished library that was built upon solid classics whereas, sometimes it seems as if Netflix is throwing originals at the wall and seeing what sticks. Disney had the foresight to capitalize on their iconic library when they realized that kids and most of their parents would be stuck at home for months at a time. A slew of studios tried to capitalize on the same, with several movies hitting streaming early in attempt to keep up with the changing theatrical landscape, but nobody did it like Disney.
Imagining Frozen 2 playing on a loop for days at a time is about as fun as it would be to do it, but that's likely what helped the film get to nearly 15 billion minutes of screen time. It seems like a good stroke of luck that Frozen 2 and Disney were in the position they were at the beginning of the pandemic. Frozen and its sequel were undeniable hits and their at-home release was sure to be huge no matter what. Disney+ just made it that much bigger and turned a year that was terrible for many into one that saw their flagship streaming service reach new heights.
Source: The Wrap