Disney+ will win the race to be streaming’s No. 2 platform in 2026
Disney+ will win the race to be streaming’s No. 2 platform in 2026
The service’s biggest story of the year will be the cementing of its place behind Netflix, and no one else in the streaming hierarchy.
The year to come promises to be packed with headlines for Disney+. The streamer has plans to integrate Hulu fully onto its app, and that’s just one of a range of changes planned for the service over the course of 2026.
But Disney+ isn’t making these changes for the sake of mere evolution; the service knows it probably doesn’t have a prayer of competing with the supremacy of Netflix, but it does know the No. 2 spot in the global streaming hierarchy is there for the taking. I think all the upgrades to Disney+ will allow it to lock that spot down in 2026, which will be the true headline of the year for the service.
The growth at Disney+ will be multifaceted this year, though the absorption of Hulu will no doubt be one of the biggest changes. Hulu has already moved a huge library of general entertainment to the Disney+ app, including originals, next-day streams of primetime shows from ABC and Fox, and more. But beginning this year, customers will have to use the Disney+ app to watch those titles, even if they solely have a subscription to Hulu.
Disney+ also offers a growing package of live sports from ESPN, and bundle subscribers can watch NFL, NBA, college sports, and more on the app. Its parent company has done a ton of work to position Disney+ as the crown jewel of its streaming empire, one the sun will never set on thanks to its global presence.
It’s no secret that YouTube, TikTok, and similar platforms are sapping viewership from traditional on-demand streamers like Disney+, and the service is fighting back by adopting some of the most successful features of creator video apps. In early 2026, Disney+ revealed it was preparing to launch a vertical video feed, and the service is also expanding the number of live streaming channels it offers that allow viewers to sit back and watch, instead of choosing their next program.
The key metrics already put Disney+ in the catbird seat to cement itself behind Netflix. In its most recent quarterly earnings update, Disney+ and combined for nearly 200 million subscribers. That’s third behind Netflix and Prime Video, but the latter’s claim of 200 million subscribers is accompanied by the considerable asterisk that all Amazon Prime subscribers get Prime Video as an added benefit. The company is notoriously tight-lipped about detailing exactly how many Prime customers engage with Prime Video regularly, and Disney advocates can make the argument that the vast majority of its streaming subscribers are customers because they actively chose to be.
Disney’s streaming segment also showed a profit of over $300 million in its most recent quarter, perhaps the most sure sign that it will end all discussion of which streamer is directly following Netflix in 2026. While other streaming services have shown a profit in the past year, Disney+ is the most consistently able to show itself in the black on a quarter-to-quarter basis outside of Netflix.
Paramount+ is fighting its hardest to insert itself into the competition as a streaming heavyweight, with its ongoing pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery and its recent announcement that it, too, is getting in on the vertical video craze. But it has a ways to go to catch up to Disney+, and WBD — despite HBO Max having more than 100 million subscribers and a global presence — is essentially waving the white flag by putting itself up for auction. Peacock is even further behind Disney+, and Apple TV is still trying to prove it’s more than a boutique streaming service.
The conversation ends in 2026. Disney+ will establish itself as the no-contest No. 2 in the streaming world behind Netflix. To call it Netflix’s competition would be partly inaccurate; no one will ever topple Netflix off the top of the heap, and I don’t think Disney+ has that in mind as a goal. No other streaming service will be able to surpass Disney+, especially after the major transformations the platform will undergo in 2026.
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.”