Since its launch in November 2019, Disney’s over-the-top streaming subscription service Disney Plus has very quickly amassed a considerable subscriber base in a short matter of months.
Today, according to The Information, the company announced that it had crossed the 50-million subscriber threshold only 5 months since its inception. This comes only weeks after it launched in most of Western Europe. The company has managed an impressive and steady climb in subscriptions since February.
At 50 million subscribers, Disney is still only at a third of what Netlfix has managed to achieve since it launched its streaming service in 2007. Still, the amount of time Disney Plus has managed to attract subscribers is an unprecedented accomplishment.
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Disney’s stock, which has been suffering like many other companies during the pandemic, has shot up nearly 7% in after-hours trading. Ironically, it has been the pandemic itself that provided some considerable growth to the streaming service as people remain isolated at home looking for new avenues of entertainment.
Whether or not these numbers will remain after quarantines around the world begin to ease up – this may be a one-time thing for new customers.
The Information speculates, however, that Disney will probably be happy giving up a few subscribers if it means more people will take trips to its theme parks and movie theatres.
There is still no word on when Disney Plus will be available in Africa, the service’s website does have an option where those interested can sign up to receive news on when it will be, however.
Users with VPNs can still access the service in full via changing their IP location.
Streaming Subscriber Bases
With Disney Plus now reaching 50 million subscribers, it’s worth noting the amassed subscriber bases of its competitors.
- Netflix – Around 167.9 million
- Amazon Prime Video – Around 96.5 million
- HBO Now – Around 23.1 million
- Hulu – Around 75.8 million
- Showmax – 595,000
As per the numbers, Netflix continues to grip the market tightly, but no other streaming platform has made as big a splash as quickly as Disney Plus. With Netflix continuing to lose subscribers to other platforms year-after-year, it could only be a matter of time before the king of OTT is dethroned.
Edited by Luis Monzon
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