Disney Plus Hits 130 Million Subscribers and Shows No Signs of Stopping

The service goes from strength to strength, but can it challenge Netflix?

Disney Plus had an impressively good year in 2021 and there’s every reason to believe that, helped by blockbuster movies such as “Lightyear”, it will have a very good one in 2022 too. (Image: Disney)

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic helped practically all digital entertainment subscription services, but none more than Disney Plus: the service started out in November 2019 with a goal of around 65 million subscribers in its first 4 years of operation and was able to build a userbase of almost 70 million subscribers in less than a year, shattering all expectations. It turned out that prolonged pandemic lockdowns around the world, the need for a Netflix alternative, and a few noteworthy blockbuster films offered as part of a Disney Plus subscription attracted subscribers in droves for all of 2020 — a perfect storm that did not hit in the same way during 2021, as pandemic restrictions started being lifted and movie theatres began operating again.

Still, Disney Plus managed to finish 2021 with another leap forward: the service attracted almost 12 million more subscribers during the last quarter of last year, blowing past analysts’ expectations of around 7.5 million and rounding off its subscription base to almost 130 million subscribers worldwide. Disney’s service managed to grow by no less than 37% in 2021, going from 95 million subscribers to 130 without being available to most countries around the world yet — unlike its main rival, Netflix, which is available everywhere but only managed to add around 18 million subscribers during the same year.

Boosted by exclusive quality content consumers are interested in, such as the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” TV show slated for 2022, Disney Plus will easily expand its user base even further. (Image: Disney)

“We’ve had a very strong start to the fiscal year, with a significant rise in earnings per share, record revenue and operating income at our domestic parks and resorts, the launch of a new franchise with Encanto, and a significant increase in total subscriptions across our streaming portfolio to 196.4 million, including 11.8 million Disney Plus subscribers added in the first quarter”, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek noted. “This marks the final year of The Walt Disney Company’s first century, and performance like this coupled with our unmatched collection of assets and platforms, creative capabilities, and unique place in…