Disney today announced that its Disney+ streaming service now has more than 50 million paid subscribers globally. That number comes just five months after its launch in the United States.
The latest milestone for the streaming service that comprises not just Disney content but also Star Wars, the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar and National Geographic, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given that it managed 10 million subscribers after its first day , and it closed out 2019 with just over 26.5 million subscribers .
"We're truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year," Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, said in a press release. "Great storytelling inspires and uplifts, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+."
Also helping to lift Disney+ is the mega-bundle that includes an ad-supported subscription to Hulu and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month. That bundle also helped lift Hulu With Live TV to become the No. 1 live TV streaming service in the United States .
More recently, Disney launched in a good chunk of Europe, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austia and Switzerland. And it launched in India, which makes up 8 million of those 50 million subscribers. And we can certainly expect that number to grow.
By comparison, Netflix is expecting to close the first quarter of 2020 with 174 million subscribers worldwide. (Netflix will report its Q1 2020 earnings on April 21.)
More: Everything new on Disney+ in April 2020
The mega service
The value of Disney+ starts with the word "Disney" and only builds from there, with the likes of Marvel and Star Wars and Pixar and National Geographic only making it that much stronger.
DISNEY+ PAID SUBSCRIBER COUNT SURPASSES 50 MILLION MILESTONE
LAUNCHED FIVE MONTHS AGO, THE SERVICE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN MORE THAN A DOZEN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
BURBANK, CA (April 8, 2020) – Continuing to delight consumers around the world, Disney+ has now achieved another new milestone, with 50 million paid subscribers globally within five months after its U.S. launch.
"We're truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year," said Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. "Great storytelling inspires and uplifts, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+."
In the past two weeks, Disney+ rolled out in eight Western European counties including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. Additionally, Disney+ became available last week in India, where it is offered in conjunction with the existing Hotstar service, and already accounts for approximately eight million of Disney+'s 50 million paid subscribers.
