In just a year and a half since its launch, Disney Plus is already on the verge of reaching 100 million subscribers, half of what Netflix has gained in more than a decade, in a tenth of the time. According to Disney, its streaming service now has 94,9 million subscribers worldwide, a figure the company predicted it would reach sometime in 2024. The figure was announced today as part of its first-quarter 2021 earnings report. from Disney, in which the company said Disney Plus gained about 8 million new subscribers in the past two months alone, since its investor day in December. Part of that, most likely, came from The Mandalorian's season finale and the release of WandaVision, as well as the Disney/Pixar hit Soul. With more big-budget shows and movies on the horizon, Disney has strong momentum and is quickly closing the gap on Netflix.
Is it good or bad to have more subscribers?
It's a tough question to answer, but according to popular streaming services, the answer is, well, both. More subscribers put more money in the pockets of the streaming service company, which, most likely, is spending a good chunk of that money on content. More content is definitely a good thing. The downside to all of this is that as streaming services get more subscribers, they tend to drive up the cost of the service. This has happened to Netflix several times over the years, and now it's happening to Disney Plus, which will soon cost $7.99 per month ($7.99 / AU$11.99) or $79.99 / £79.90 / AU$119.99 per year. starting February 23 in the UK and Australia and March 26 in the US. Getting even more subscribers could prompt Disney to raise prices again sooner rather than later, especially now that the company has half a dozen new TV series. Star Wars and Disney in production.