Disney+ Continues to Grow, Breaks 100 Million Subscribers
By Movieguide® Staff
Disney+ topped 100 million subscribers worldwide, adding to the impressive resume and rapid growth of Disney’s streaming service.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that the new high is up from 94.9 million the previous month.
“The enormous success of Disney Plus has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content,” Chapek said during a recent shareholder’s meeting. “In fact, we set a target of 100-plus new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the Company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”
According to Variety, Disney’s success was also reflected in its stock, which closed with a record price of $201.91 on Mar. 8. Chapek noted that last year when the pandemic first hit, shares hit “a COVID low” of $79.
Chapek recently revealed Disney’s post-pandemic plan.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Walt Disney Company chief executive Bob Chapek revealed that the entertainment conglomerate would consider a new strategy for movie releases and not return to pre-pandemic theatrical windows.
“I think the consumer is probably more impatient than they’ve ever been before,” Chapek said during a recent Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Conference. “Particularly since now they’ve had the luxury of an entire year of getting titles at home pretty much when they want them. So I’m not sure there’s going back, but we certainly don’t want to do anything like cut the legs off a theatrical exhibition run.”
Chapek noted that Disney is still committed to its commitment to theatrical releases, which earned over $13 billion in 2019 across a record-setting 11 movies. While Chapek acknowledged that those movies “will continue to be a big deal” to Disney, he also recognized how COVID-19 could result in “profound” audience changes.
“I don’t think they’ll have much of a tolerance for a title, say, being out of theatrical for months, yet it hasn’t had a chance to actually be thrown into the marketplace in another distribution channel, just sort of sitting there getting dust,” Chapek said.
While Disney+ has a lot of family-friendly content, not all its releases are appropriate for children. Disney’s most recent movie, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, available for a premium on the streaming service, contains multiple cautions.
Furthermore, Disney+ removed several classic movies from the children’s profiles, including PETER PAN and DUMBO. Meanwhile, Disney+ launched its Star service internationally that will allow parents more control over the content their children can see on the platform.
If you’re unsure if a movie is a good fit for your family, check the title on Movieguide.org.
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