Disney+ Tops 100 Million Subscribers

Walt Disney Co DIS announced that its Disney+ streaming service has passed the 100 million mark for subscribers.

What Happened: Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019, and is now available in 59 countries. The subscription milestone was announced today during a shareholders meeting.

“The enormous success of Disney Plus has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content,” said CEO Bob Chapek. “In fact, we set a target of 100-plus new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”

Disney+ has gained further attention by releasing new television series, including the “Star Wars”-inspired “The Mandalorian” and the Marvel series, “WandaVision.” Last month, the service brought back "The Muppet Show," which had not been seen extant in its original five-season run since the early 1980s.

In September 2020, Disney+ won eight Emmy Awards during its first year in the annual competition, with seven awards for “The Mandalorian” and one for the Pixar production, “Forky Asks a Question: What is Love.” Last week, the company won its first Golden Globe Awards for the Pixar feature film “Soul,” which took home the “Best Animated Movie” and “Best Original Score” prizes.

The service has focused exclusively on family-friendly entertainment, with no R-rated or NC-17-rated titles allowed. For older programming with examples of insensitive cultural caricatures, Disney+ has either issued warning labels ahead of the programming or made the productions unavailable for viewing by younger children. Only the 1946 Disney feature, “Song of the South,” has been banned from the service due to longstanding complaints of racially stereotyped characters.

What Happens Next: Disney initially predicted it would reach the 90 million subscriber mark by 2024. With that prediction gone by the wayside, the company has recalibrated its forecast of reaching up to 260 million in three years.

(Photo: The Emmy Award-winning Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” Photo courtesy Disney+.)