The subscribers to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ added together they reached and surpassed those of Netflix by total number. According to the latest numbers released by Disney in its latest financial report, subscribers grew by 14.6 million units in the last quarter, for a total of 236 million. Netflix’s latest update to that effect spoke of 223.1 million subscribers.
Naturally it is clear that we are talking about the numbers of three services against those of only one, but it is nevertheless an important result, which moreover is largely due to Disney+, which has a total of 164 million paying subscribers and has record the fastest growth in the last quarter, attracting an additional 12.1 million people.
It’s easy to understand why, given that it brings together some of the most beloved franchises in the entertainment world, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars, not to mention Disney and Pixar movies. In short, the catalog will not be as diversified as that of Netflix, but the important releases are still numerous and the appeal to the masses is therefore enormous.
Despite the success, Disney’s subscription services still fail to deliver profits. Indeed, they are at a loss, a sign of the large investments necessary to maintain them, between productions, technologies and marketing. Combined losses in the recent quarter were $1.5 billion, versus $0.8 billion in the prior quarter.
According to CEO Bob Chapek, the losses could be reduced by the addition of the economic subscription plan with advertising that will arrive in the future. Furthermore, a price increase is expected, which will buffer the situation. Disney’s forecasts speak of making the streaming division profitable in 2024, net of the current economic situation, which is particularly difficult.
