‘Conclave’ streaming explodes after Pope Francis’ death, viewership jumps 283% to 7 million minutes

A still from ‘Conclave’
| Photo Credit: Focus Features

In the wake of Pope Francis’ passing on April 21, viewers flocked to streaming platforms to watch Conclave, the 2024 drama centered on the secretive process of selecting a new pope. According to data from Luminate, the film saw a staggering 283% surge in viewership, jumping from 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 to nearly 6.9 million minutes on the day of the Pope’s death.

Directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, Conclave had already been a critical success during awards season. The film earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, and several other major categories. But the real-life loss of the 88-year-old pontiff brought renewed public interest in the film’s subject matter.

Currently available on Amazon Prime Video and various PVOD platforms, Conclave explores the intense, often mysterious rituals behind the Vatican’s selection of a new pope. The film’s relevance deepened this week as global audiences sought insight into what may soon unfold within the Catholic Church.

Netflix’s The Two Popes, a 2019 film also set inside the Vatican, experienced a similar viewership spike — up 417% from Sunday to Monday.

During the film’s promotional run, the cast of Conclave had often fielded questions about Pope Francis’ health. At the SAG Awards earlier this year, Rossellini had publicly wished him a “quick recovery,” while co-star Sergio Castellitto spoke about the Pope’s close presence in everyday Roman life.

Hollywood figures including Martin Scorsese paid tribute online following the Pope’s death, with the director calling him “a remarkable human being” who “never stopped learning” and “practiced forgiveness.”