In Disney’s Q4 Earnings Release, the company reported they had 118.1 million subscribers as of the beginning of October, up just 2.1 million subscribers from last quarter. It’s the slowest growth since Disney+ launched two years ago.
Despite the slowing of growth, the company has made tremendous strides. Last year, at its one-year anniversary, they had 73.7 million subscribers, meaning they’ve added 44.4 million over the past year.
The company will be celebrating Disney+ Day this Friday, which see the release of Shang-Chi, Jungle Cruise, and the remake of Home Alone on the platform. They are also offering a discounted $1.99 first month through November 14th.
Throughout this year, Disney+ utilized its Premier Access model, which gave subscribers access to select new Disney theatrical releases the same day for an additional fee. However, that has come to an end after the company saw mixed results from its Premier Access films. Slated for the rest of the year, “Enancto” (November 24), “West Side Story” (December 10), and “The King’s Man” (December 22) will all be released exclusively in theaters.
The company’s first Disney+ Day is right around the corner. The streaming service will expand into new markets in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically in South Korea and Taiwan. On November 16, it will launch in Hong Kong. Disney’s Asia-Pacific president, Luke Kang, already has big plans for the streaming service. In the EU, Disney+ users recently saw a price hike as the service continues to grow.
Recent research has been promising for Disney+. Among all major streaming services, it has the most exclusive content (89%). Among competitors, Disney's TV series have the largest share of audience demand.
In September, Disney CEO Bob Chapek predicted lower long-term Q4 subscriber numbers compared to previous quarters. “We’re (still) very confident about our long-term sub growth as we have been in Q4 (of 2021). I think what you can expect to see is that our global paid subs will increase by low single-digit millions of subscribers versus Q3,” Chapek said. “Our core markets sub growth will continue, both domestically and internationally in Q4 … We hit some headwinds; I already talked about Latin America — again, trying to mobilize the partners (to) get that thing (Star+) going, just like we saw with Disney Plus.”
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”