Disney+ & Verizon Deal Gives Them Access to 18 Million Verizon Unlimited Subscribers Boosting Analyst Projections

It seems Disney+ distribution deal with Verizon has given the upcoming streaming service a major leg up. According to Variety, analysts at MoffettNathanson initially projected the platform to amass two million subscribers by the end of 2019, and ten million by the end of 2020. Now, with the partnership with Verizon locked in, those numbers have increased exponentially to eight and 18 million, respectively.

The boost comes from the robust number of Verizon’s unlimited wireless subscribers. According to Variety, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, reported that the company has approximately around 100 million total wireless subscribers, out of those, 50 million—including business accounts—are on unlimited plans. However, analysts project that the Verizon wireless customers who are most likely to go for the one-year-free Disney+ promo is much smaller and comes in at around 17 million and 18 million.

John Hodulik, another analyst from UBS, says the deal gives Disney+ an advantage over competitors because it alleviates Disney from the burden of having to build a subscriber base from the ground up. The deal “de-risks the Disney+ subscriber story over the next 12 months while creating a more challenging environment for other [direct-to-consumer] players,” Hodulik stated. By the time 12-month Verizon promo comes to an end, the streaming service will have a “meaningful increase in content available” urging customers to stick with the service.

Disney+ will launch on Nov. 12 at $6.99 per month, or $70 per year ($5.83/month). The first year will include 25 new original series, 10+ movies, 7,500 past episodes, 100 recent movies, and 400 library titles. By 2024, the company expects to have 50+ new original series, 10+ movies, ~10,000 past episodes, 120+ recent movies, and 500+ library titles.