'Hamilton' Sparks Huge Surge In Theatergoers Searching For Broadway Shows Online

It's been four months since Broadway shutdown began, but that doesn't mean fans haven't still been getting their fix.

Since the premiere of "Hamilton" of Disney+ many have turned to online for their favorite Broadway classics. According to TMZ, who obtained information from Filmed on Stage -- the largest online database for filmed Broadway musicals and plays -- reported that the "website saw a spike of nearly +250% in the 2 weeks leading up to the July 3 premiere of 'Hamilton.'"

Furthermore, the site saw an increase in traffic of almost 400% on that Friday in comparison to the average Friday. Since then, the traffic has continually been on the incline with a specific interest in the Broadway musical section from users in all areas of the country.

Among the most popular titles at the moment are "Newsies," "Rent" and "Kinky Boots." However, fans aren't fully satisfied with the selection provided by Filmed on Stage because as they've received emails with inquiries from fans wondering why their favorites are not available.

A rep told TMZ, "While we are used to receiving such emails, I can safely say we received an unusual amount in the past week with visitors mostly asking for other hit Broadway musicals -- 'Wicked' leading the list."

Another Broadway streaming platform, BroadwayHD, said their traffic increased long before the ten-dollar founding father's musical debuted. "People are watching one after another right now,” BroadwayHD co-founder Bonnie Comley told Variety's Stagecraft podcast in May. “It’s a totally different viewing pattern than we’ve seen previously.”

Co-founder Stewart F. Lane added that BroadwayHD's viewership was increased more than 18 months ahead of their projections.

Elsewhere, PBS has been rolling out more shows from their archive for their Great Performances series. The network currently has over a dozen Broadway productions streaming for free.

"Hamilton" hasn't only seemingly sparked an increase in viewing Broadway shows digitally, it has also done wonders for that platform which it resides on -- Disney+. As previously reported, the app downloads for its premiere weekend (Friday to Sunday) were 72.4% higher than previous weekends.

While Broadway's online industry continues to grow amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the physical one is losing out on some big money. The last full week that New York City theaters were open brought in close to $27 million, according to Playbill.

It was announced in June that due to COVID-19 Broadway would remain shut down until 2021.