Feb 12, 2021 10:35:00

Disney + paid members surpass 94.9 million

Disney announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2021 (October-December), revealing that the number of paying members of its video streaming service '

Disney + ' has exceeded 9.49 million.

The Walt Disney Company Reports First Quarter Earnings for Fiscal 2021 --The Walt Disney Company
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-company-reports-first-quarter-earnings-for-fiscal-2021/

Disney Plus hits 94.9 million subscribers, beating its four-year goal in 14 months --The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/11/22278874/disney-plus-94-9-million-subscribers-q1-2021-earnings

Disney says it now has 94.9 million Disney Plus subscribers
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/11/disney-says-it-now-has-94point9-million-disney-plus-subscribers.html

The number of paying members of Disney's video streaming service as of January 2, 2021 has been revealed. The number of paying members for each service is 94.9 million for Disney +, 39.4 million for Hulu, and 12.1 million for ESPN +. As of December 2020, Disney announced that the number of paid Disney + members had exceeded 86 million, which means that the number of members has increased by more than 10 million in just one month. Season 2 of the original work 'The Mandalorian' was released on Disney + in December 2020, which is believed to have contributed to the significant increase in the number of paying members.

At the beginning of the service, Disney had set a goal of 'exceeding 9.49 million paying members' by 2024. However, we decided to reach this number in just 14 months after the service started. Disney has set a new goal of '230-260 million paying members by 2024.'

Disney + started distributing Marvel's work '

WandaVision ' on January 15, 2021, but the increase in the number of paying members due to this is not included in this 'number of paying members 94.9 million'. As a result, The Verge wrote, 'It is possible that the number of paying members has already exceeded 100 million.'

The following is a comparison of the number of paying members with Netflix, the male video streaming service. Netflix has 204 million paying members, while Disney has 146.4 million members, including Disney +, Hulu, and ESPN +.

Disney's video streaming business sales increased 73% year-on-year to $ 3.5 billion (approximately 370 billion yen). The average monthly sales per paying member is $ 4.03 (about 420 yen). Disney + will raise the price for the first time in the United States. From March 26, 2021, the monthly usage fee will be raised from $ 6.99 (about 730 yen) to $ 7.99 (about 840 yen), and the annual usage fee will be raised from $ 69.99 (about 7300 yen) to $ 79.99 (about 8400 yen). ..

The increase in the number of paid Disney + members is one of the bright factors for Disney's quarterly financial results. Disney's total revenue in the first quarter of 2021 was $ 16.25 billion, down more than 20% year-on-year. This is due to the pandemic effect of the new coronavirus. Disney has closed its cruise ship business and is restricting admission to Disney Parks around the world. In addition, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, Disney has postponed the release date of major works, and it seems that this will have a considerable impact on Disney's business as a whole.

On the other hand, the number of paying Disney + members has increased significantly as many consumers refrained from going out due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus. The number of paying members was 33.5 million in the second quarter of 2020 (January to March), 57.5 million in the third quarter of 2020 (April to June), and in the fourth quarter of 2020 (July to September). It has recorded 73.7 million people and is increasing the number of paying members by about 20 million every quarter.