Will Disney+ beat Netflix?:
When happens two major forces join hands to provide something bigger and better and possibly pass by their competition in the blink of an eye? It’s destruction and this is exactly what is happening. Something stupendous has fallen right in our lap, and we present it to you in sheer excitement, truthfully. We all know how shook and stunned we were when we got to know that Warner Bros. is shifting to HBO max for their 2021 releases. Something like this is unusual as Warner Bros. literally smashes the box office with money incoming from all around the world. But previously in December 2020, we heard some news of Disney+ and Hulu combining to become one single streaming service.
Based on this, the next big news is that Disney+ and Hulu may be joining forces soon, and to support this, Collider reports that the executive changes are already under a procedure to make the said collaboration possible. Some of the executives and personnel have already left Hulu in the light of this amalgamation, and some are on their way to be or have already resigned with due formalities from the company’s side. Over the past few months and years, we have seen both Disney+ and Hulu rise in net worth and subscribers. Hulu has gone from having a worth of 20 million subscribers and currently starts over 35 million subscribers in just two years. And when it comes to Disney+, the numbers are mind-boggling as they have crossed exceptional numbers of subscribers, that is 70 million, that too in a year!
According to a Digital TV Research report (via THR), Disney+ is projected to grow to 294 million global subscribers in 2026, just beating Netflix’s projected 286 million. However, the only country in which Disney+ will have more subscribers is India, where it’s projected to have 98 million Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in comparison to Netflix’s 13 million. The report predicts other streaming services will trail far behind Disney+ and Netflix, with Amazon’s Prime Video service reaching 184 million, HBO Max reaching 50 million, and Apple TV+ reaching just 11 million in 2026. Disney+ launched in November 2019 and just announced it has already reached 95 million subscribers. This beats its original target of 90 million subscribers in four years, and the platform shows no signs of slowing down. Netflix, meanwhile, has long been the standard-bearer in streaming and currently has over 200 million global subscribers. However, that could change in a few short years.
Netflix isn’t taking the challenge from Disney+ lying down. In early January, the streamer revealed it will release at least 71 original movies this year. Netflix is also still more than capable of providing buzzy content, evidenced by Bridgerton’s debut in late 2020. Netflix’s current 105 million subscriber lead over Disney+ isn’t projected to shrink, and considering the current pandemic, people are more likely than ever to subscribe to multiple streaming services. So it looks like Disney+ and Netflix will coexist for the foreseeable future, which is great for those who enjoy having plenty of original content to choose from.
Disney’s Star adds Hulu content for international Disney+ subscribers at no additional cost. Disney has already gained over 86 million global subscribers since launching their hit streaming service Disney+ in November 2019, far exceeding expectations. Since joining the highly competitive streaming market, Disney+ has seen massive success and already has an array of new original content on the slate over the next several years. Also after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox owning a majority of Fox, Disney has now begun to dominate the world of streaming, considering their gigantic position in the market anyway.
Both Disney+ and Hulu have grown significantly in the last year, but the two major streaming services are quite different from each other. While Disney+ offers family-friendly content, Hulu, which has nearly 39 million subscribers, carries more mature content. It was rumored in early December that Disney was considering a move that would combine Disney+ and Hulu, but then an official announcement was followed later on confirming the amalgamation.
Along with this, Disney will also introduce Star+ to Latin American subscribers which will launch in June 2021. Star+ is also set to feature Disney-owned entertainment film and TV content, along with ESPN and ESPN+. With Star being added as a new brand to the Disney+ app, Disney+ will be increasing their prices in 2021 to account for the new addition of content. Disney+ has already harnessed more than 86 million subscribers worldwide, Star and Star+ will undoubtedly be a massive build onto the streamer’s success.
Undoubtedly, this is the clash of the Titans, and it will be amazing to see how wins! 2026 is a long time, but we can expect Disney+ to come toe-to-toe with Netflix any time soon!
