Indian members left the most, although accounts also disappeared in the US and Canada.
Disney Plus’s subscriber base declined for the first time since the business introduced it in 2019 with a loss of 2.4 million customers in the three months ending December 31, the company reported on Wednesday.
The Disney Plus Hotstar service, an Indian offering with significantly cheaper pricing than the company’s streaming offerings abroad, had Disney’s greatest declines in streaming subscribers. There, 3.8 million accounts and fewer people joined the group.
Additionally, Disney Plus lost 200,000 US and Canadian subscribers. However, growth in other countries abroad partially offset the reductions. As of the end of December, Disney Plus has 161.8 million subscribers worldwide.
Comparatively, in the more than ten years since it began streaming, Netflix, the largest subscription streaming service of its sort, has racked up more than 230 million global customers. However, during the first part of last year, Netflix had its biggest subscriber losses in ten years, indicating that the battle for streaming customers had reached its limit.
Disney added on Wednesday that the number of Hulu customers reached 48 million and the number of ESPN Plus subscribers reached 24.9 million, an increase of 2%.
Early on in the “streaming wars,” when practically every major media corporation (as well as several tech ones) launched their streaming-video services, Disney Plus emerged as the clear winner.
A media expert praised Discovery Disney Plus as “one of the best product launches of all time.” Disney Plus has expanded far more quickly than any of its new rivals, including Apple, HBO, and NBCUniversal.
By the time the service turns five, in late 2024, Disney Plus is predicted to have between 215 million and 245 million global customers.
More guidance on streaming
- 10 Tips for Cheaper Streaming
- How to Disconnect from Cable TV in 2023
- Visit Streaming TV Insider to learn more.
