Original biopic “Whitney,” the centerpiece of Lifetime’s Whitney Houston-themed Saturday night programming block, drew 4.5 million total viewers for its premiere telecast.
News of the viewership comes from Lifetime, which adds that the film attracted 2.1 million viewers in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. Depending on the manner in which that number was rounded, it should translate into a 1.6 or 1.7 adults 18-49 rating.
The numbers best those of “Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B,” another recent, high-profile Lifetime biopic. That movie attracted 3.2 million total viewers with 1.7 million in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Lifetime adds that “Whitney” also drew 2.2 million Adults 25-54, 1.6 million Women 18-49 and 1.6 million Women 25-54.
The movie led into “Bobby Brown: Remembering Whitney,” which drew 4.1 million total viewers with 1.8 million in the adults 18-49 demographic. Lifetime’s “Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances” closed the night with an audience of 3.2 million viewers (1.3 million of whom were adults 18-49).
“Whitney also struck a chord among social media, where it was the most tweeted-about program for the day and Lifetime’s second most tweeted-about program ever,” added the cable network.