Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Netflix documentary: What to know
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is headed to the small screen on Wednesday.
A documentary about the freshman lawmaker, called “Knock Down the House,” detailing her grassroots congressional campaign, is set to appear on Netflix. Ocasio-Cortez upset incumbent Joe Crowley in the 2018 primary elections.
The other grassroots campaigns featured in the film, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival this year, include Amy Vilela, Cori Bush and Paula Jean Swearengin. Ocasio-Cortez was the only one who eventually won out of the female candidates followed in the picture. All were Democrats challenging incumbents.
Here’s a look at some of the stats behind the documentary:
Kickstarter
The documentary was initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign.
According to the page, it had 424 backers that pledged $28,111 to the project.
Netflix deal
The streaming giant reportedly paid $10 million to acquire the rights for the movie – potentially the highest amount ever for a documentary, as reported by Deadline.
Netflix won a competitive auction for the rights to the film – which received Sundance’s Festival Favorite Award.
“Knock Down the House” was one of a few films that fetched millions at Sundance – but its deal with Netflix was the most lucrative.
Netflix bets on documentaries
Netflix’s content budget is expected to grow to $15 billion in 2019, making the $10 million it paid for the rights to “Knock Down the House” seem like small change.
The streaming giant spent $12 billion on content in 2018 – a 35 percent year over year increase.
According to Forbes, about one-third of Netflix viewership is for movies.
The streaming giant has garnered attention for a number of high-profile documentaries including “Fyre,” “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” and “Blackfish.” It has also struck a multiyear partnership with President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, which includes docu-series and documentaries, among other content.
