By: Nick Gambino
Disney Plus has easily been the most highly anticipated streaming service ever. Thanks to a back catalog stretching over 80 years and a wealth of Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars titles, not to mention original series based on these properties, there was no way the Mickey Mouse company’s first streaming service was going to be anything but a raving success.
In an unusual, self-congratulatory press release, The Walt Disney Company announced that they signed up 10 million subscribers in a single day. There was no more data than that but apparently, they don’t plan to make regular announcements on their subscriber numbers other than on their quarterly earnings calls.
It’s not clear whether the 10 million were actually signed up in a 24-hour period (unlikely), but there’s also no denying that that’s a robust start. The figure does include free 7-day trials and bundles with Hulu and ESPN Plus but still impressive. Disney execs told The Hollywood Reporter that they predict they’ll have somewhere between 60 and 90 million Disney Plus subscribers globally by 2024.
There’s something about the house that Mickey Mouse built that turns grown men and women into giddy little children. Whether they’re obsessed with Disney princesses or a galaxy far, far away, we live in an age where pop culture obsession doesn’t mean you’re a “nerd” (at least in a derogatory fashion). With the new streaming service offering close to 500 movies and 7,500 episodes of shows, including their first Star Wars show, The Mandalorian, there’s something here for everyone no matter how deep you are into nerdom.
Not surprisingly, the launch wasn’t as smooth as Disney had hoped with many reporting glitches and the inability to access titles on the first day. Users were blocked from some of their favorite content for several hours. With analysts predicting 8 million at launch, it seems they weren’t ready to accommodate an additional 2 million. Disney addressed this in a tweet.
“The demand for Disney Plus has exceeded our highest expectations,” the tweet says. “We are so pleased you’re excited to watch all your favorites and are working quickly to resolve any current issues.”
The demand for #DisneyPlus has exceeded our highest expectations. We are so pleased you’re excited to watch all your favorites and are working quickly to resolve any current issues. We appreciate your patience.
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) November 12, 2019
You can sign up for Disney Plus for only $6.99 a month or bundle it with Hulu and ESPN Plus for $12.99 a month. They’ve also partnered up with Verizon to give customers a year free.
