Disney+ has surpassed 100 million global paid subscribers, Disney announced today during a shareholders meeting. The streaming service has gained five million subscribers since Mid-February, which was the last time subscriber info was shared.
"The enormous success of Disney+ --which has now surpassed 100 million subscribers--has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content," said Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
Disney has set a target of 100+ new titles per year across Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, with Chapek calling the company's direct to consumer business a "top priority."
Disney+ reached the 100 million subscriber milestone 16 months after launch, exceeding all of the original subscriber targets that Disney set. When the service launched, Disney said that it hoped to hit 60 to 90 million subscribers by 2024, which it hit before the end of 2020.
Disney now believes that it will have 230 to 260 million subscribers worldwide by 2024, which will see Disney+ surpassing Netflix. In January, Netflix had more than 200 million subscribers worldwide.
While Disney+ launched at the same time as Apple TV+, Disney's streaming service has grown much more rapidly. By five months after launch, Disney+ already had over 50 million subscribers thanks to Disney's wealth of existing content and original shows like "The Mandalorian" and "WandaVision."
Apple has not provided details on Apple TV+ subscribers so there's no direct comparison available, but Apple's subscriber numbers are not likely to be anywhere near Disney's as Apple still has many people who are on free trials, which have been extended multiple times. Apple is also reimbursing Apple TV+ costs for subscribers at the current time and will do so until July.
Apple has been ramping up its selection of original movies and TV shows and has invested heavily in new content, but it will be years before Apple TV+ has a catalog that can compete with other streaming services.
