Everyone knew going into the launch of Disney+ that the service was going to be a hit. That’s just a given when you have the power of the world’s most successful studio launching a streaming service at a very attractive price point with a library of classic films and modern blockbusters. But even still, not many people probably predicted that Disney+ would be this successful.
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According to Disney, the launch of its streaming service hit a pretty incredible milestone recently, as it crossed the 50 million paid subscriber mark. This comes just weeks after its quarterly earnings call where the company touted approximately 27 million subscribers. Growth seems to stem from the platform’s expansion worldwide, as well as the rise in streaming since the outbreak of COVID-19.
“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+.”
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The 50 million milestone comes soon after Disney+ did its first major expansion worldwide since the service’s debut in November. Recently, the platform debuted in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. But perhaps the most impressive debut is in India, where Disney+ began its availability last week (as part of the existing Hotstar service) and already accounts for 8 million of the service’s paid subscribers.
Obviously, for as impressive as the new milestone is for the streaming service, Disney+ is still has a fraction of what Netflix currently has in its subscriber base (reportedly approximately 167 million worldwide as of January 2020). But then again, Netflix has had years to build worldwide, and Disney has done this in a little less than half a year. That being said, Disney also has a legacy and brand recognition that allows for people to blindly subscribe, assuming it’s a top-tier service.
Now, it’s all about continuing to pump out original content to keep these subscribers interested. Oh, and a global pandemic forcing kids to stay home from school sure doesn’t hurt, either.