80+ Disney Plus Statistics You Need to Know November 2024 – Revenue, Products, and More

Disney Plus, the streaming service that has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people worldwide.

Whether you are a fan of classic Disney animation, Marvel superheroes, Star Wars adventures, or gripping documentaries, Disney Plus offers a one-stop destination for all your entertainment needs.

In this curated list, we have gathered all the essential information about Disney Plus statistics, ensuring you have everything you need to embark on an unforgettable streaming journey.

Disney Plus Investment Data

The Walt Disney Company owns and operates Disney streaming services. 

It significantly invested in content production, infrastructure, marketing, and technology to launch and support the Disney Plus streaming service.

The Walt Disney Company (IPO) History 

The parent company of Disney Plus made its initial public offering (IPO) on November 12, 1957. Goldman Sachs co-led the Disney initial public offering (IPO) with a share price of $13.88.

It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DIS”.
The timing appeared opportune, considering Disney had launched its revolutionary theme park, Disneyland in California, merely two years prior.

As per Walt Disney Company’s annual report, by October 1, 2022, there were approximately 793,000 recorded common shareholders.
75,841 shares were purchased on the open market to provide shares to Walt Disney Investment Plan participants.

The same report reveals Disney paid a dividend of $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2020 for operations in the second half of fiscal 2019.
However, no dividends were paid for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, and no dividends have been declared or paid for the fiscal year 2022 operations.

As of June 2023, the price of a Disney share stands at $87.40

Data on Disney’s Major Investment Payoffs for Disney Plus 

Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm Acquisitions Data

The Walt Disney Company has made strategic investments in major entertainment companies, solidifying its position as a powerhouse in the industry.
Owing to Disney’s successful acquisitions between 2006 and 2019, Disney Plus boasts diverse content on its platform.

In 2006 Disney acquired Pixar, the renowned animation studio, for approximately $7.4 billion. After accounting for Pixar’s cash reserves of slightly over $1 billion, the net value of the acquisition amounted to $6.3 billion. 

Disney made another significant investment by acquiring Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009. Forbes’ estimated the value of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to be $53 billion in 2021, indicating that Disney achieved a remarkable return on their investment of approximately 1375%.

Disney continued to expand its empire by acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.05 billion.
This deal gave Disney ownership of existing Star Wars films and the ability to create new movies, TV shows, and merchandise based on the brand.

BAMTech Acquisition as Future Disney Plus Data 

Disney made its initial foray into the streaming market in 2016 when it acquired a minority stake in BAMTech.

The Walt Disney Company announced its agreement to invest $1 billion for a 33 percent stake in BAMTech, in August 2016.
Major League Baseball originally founded the video-streaming company in 2000.

On August 8, 2017, an official press release disclosed Disney’s decision to purchase the majority stake in BAMTech for $1.58 billion.
The company acquired an additional 44%, raising its ownership to 75%.

Disney’s intentions to introduce a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service under the Disney brand Disney+ in 2019 were disclosed in the same announcement.
BAMTech became valued at $3.75 billion following Disney’s new investment.

Additionally, the company revealed its decision to terminate the distribution agreement with Netflix for the subscription streaming of new releases.
The change took effect from the 2019 calendar year theatrical slate onwards.

In November 2022, Disney completed a buyout of the remaining 15% stake in BAMTech, with a payment of $900 million.
Disney invested a total of $3.8 billion to acquire BAMTech, which is now recognized as Disney Streaming.

21st Century Fox and Disney Plus Investment Data 

The Walt Disney Company made a significant investment by acquiring 21st Century Fox for a stock-based deal valued at $52.4 billion In December 2017.
The purpose of this deal was to enrich Disney’s portfolio with a more compelling entertainment experience through its DTC offerings. 

The acquisition was completed on March 20, 2019, with a final cost of $71 billion.
Disney also acquired around $19.8 billion in cash and took on approximately $19.2 billion of debt from 21st Century Fox as part of the acquisition.

Per the agreement terms, shareholders of 21st Century Fox received either $51.57 in cash or 0.45 shares of common stock at the time of the acquisition.
The transaction was projected to generate a minimum of $2 billion in cost savings by leveraging operational efficiencies resulting from the integration of businesses.

Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox also led to the ownership of their 15 acclaimed film production businesses and creative television units:

• Twentieth Century Fox
• Fox Searchlight Pictures 
• Fox 2000
• Twentieth Century Fox Television
• F.X. Productions
• Fox21
• FX Networks
• National Geographic Partners
• Fox Sports Regional Networks
• Fox Networks Group International
• Star India
• Hulu
• Sky plc
• Tata Sky
• Endemol Shine Group

The transaction significantly enhanced Disney’s international revenue mix and exposure.

Content Investments by Disney Plus Statistics

Disney’s content spending amounted to nearly $24 billion in 2018. It was projected to reach $33 billion in 2022, representing an $8 billion surge.

The streaming company experienced a 33 percent surge in content spending between 2021 and 2022, from $25 billion to $33 billion. However, in February 2023, Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger revealed a momentous restructuring strategy that aimed for cost savings of $5.5 billion.

A substantial portion of the reductions will come from trimming $3 billion off the budget for movies and TV shows, while the remaining cuts will be focused on non-content-related areas.

Disney Plus Sales & Revenue Data

Revenue Statistics for Disney Plus

The Walt Disney Company generated a total global revenue surpassing $82.7 billion in 2022.
Disney Plus played a pivotal role by generating $7.4 billion in revenue, experiencing a substantial 42% year-on-year increase.

Additionally, Disney Plus experienced substantial growth in its United States subscriber base, generating approximately $2.87 billion in annual revenue in 2022.
This marked an increase of 47.39% compared to a revenue of $1.94 billion in 2020.

Below is a breakdown of the estimated annual subscription revenue for Disney Plus in the United States since 2019:

The primary source of revenue for Disney Plus is derived from subscription fees.
Viewers can subscribe to Disney Plus in the US for $7.99 (with ads tier) or $10.99 (ad-free tier) per month.  

Subscribers in the US can also take advantage of the Disney streaming bundles.
The bundles include various package options for Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu, with offers starting at $13 monthly. 

The average monthly revenue per paying subscriber worldwide reached $4.44 in Q2 2023, showcasing growth compared to the $4.35 recorded in the second quarter of 2022. ​​
Disney Plus had an increase in retail pricing and a decrease in the proportion of wholesale subscribers, offset by a higher proportion of subscribers opting for multi-product offerings.

Disney Plus Advertising Revenue Statistics 

Disney Plus is projected to become the leading streaming video platform in ad revenue, estimated at $11.4 billion, by 2028.
This forecast considers the platform’s introduction of a more affordable subscription tier supported by advertisements. 

In December 2022, Disney Plus introduced its ad-supported “Disney+ Basic” tier at $7.99/month.
As of June 2023, the ad-supported plan is limited to the United States, but the company has plans to expand its availability to other countries in following years.

Disney also introduced new subscription plans across Disney Plus Bundles with Hulu,  ESPN+, and Live TV, which include advertisements.

According to a 2022 survey, a significant majority of Disney Plus subscribers in the U.S. indicated a high likelihood, at over 45%, of switching to the ad-supported model once it became available. On the other hand, 11% of adults surveyed expressed uncertainty about their decision.

The baseline CPM for Disney+ ads is $50.00.
More than 100 companies, such as Target, Starbucks, and P&G, have advertised on the platform, reaching Disney Plus viewers with their promotional campaigns.

Ads on Disney Plus have a duration ranging from 15 to 45 seconds, with a total ad time of 4 minutes per hour.
Furthermore, Disney Plus does not run advertisements on preschool-rated content.

In-App Purchase Revenue

During the first half of 2022, Disney+ secured its position among the top five highest-grossing non-game apps globally.
Disney Plus secured the number 4 spot on Google Play and the number 5 spot on the App Store. 

By Q3, Disney Plus generated $228 million in in-app purchase revenues from users globally.
This makes it The Walt Disney Company’s top-grossing mobile app. 

Disney Plus Stats on Top Performing Movies and TV Series

For its launch on November 12, 2019, Disney Plus provided an extensive collection of content comprising approximately 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes.
Disney Plus boasted a remarkable lineup of noteworthy movies and TV shows, including the highly anticipated Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, and the record-breaking blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame.

The Mandalorian premiered its first season’s eight episodes over seven weeks.
By the end of the season, Disney Plus had accumulated 26.5 million subscribers.

In 2022 The Star Wars live-action series garnered a remarkable 5.42 billion minutes of viewing time.
During the week of the season finale, the show amassed 1.15 billion minutes watched. Star Wars News Net estimated that approximately 16.73 million individuals had watched the entire season, constituting 63% of the Disney Plus subscriber base at that time.

According to online sources, the estimated production cost of The Mandalorian’s first season amounted to $100 million. In addition, the three seasons of The Mandalorian have incurred a minimum production cost of $360 million. Therefore, it can be assumed that the high expenses associated with the series likely contributed to Disney Plus incurring operating losses of $1.5 billion solely in the fourth quarter of 2022.

As of June 2022, the Marvel Cinematic Universe series claimed the top spot as the highest-grossing film franchise, accumulating a remarkable worldwide box office revenue of $26.6 billion.
While specific figures for MCU’S Avengers: Endgame revenue from Disney Plus alone are undisclosed, it is worth noting that the movie itself stands out as Marvel’s highest-grossing film, amassing a remarkable $2.8 billion in global revenue.

Black Widow, another film that has played a significant role in the success of Disney Plus, generated $125 million through Disney+ Premier Access.
In 2021, Black Widow emerged as the highest-grossing domestic movie, earning $181.5 million in the United States and a total worldwide revenue of $371 million.

Disney Plus Products Statistics 

Disney Plus is a subscription-based DTC service that offers a wide range of programming under the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, (Star Wars), and National Geographic brands.
These renowned brands are prominent selections or “tiles” within the Disney Plus interface. 

There are over 1,600+ movies and 28,000+ episodes to stream on Disney Plus.
Various price plans are available for subscribers to choose between monthly payments, annual subscriptions, or bundled packages that include Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. 

The Disney Plus app has 147 million worldwide downloads as of 2022.
Between Q4 2019 and Q3 2022, Disney Plus had 131 million app downloads in the US. 

Disney Plus Content Library Data 

Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies & TV Series

Disney Plus distinguishes itself from other well-established competitors by securing exclusive streaming rights to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the highest-grossing movie franchise globally. It features the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with films, along with Marvel TV series and documentaries. 

In August 2022, the series “Loki” emerged as the top-rated Marvel shows on Disney+, with approximately 2.5 million views of its premiere within the initial five days.
Tying for second place in viewership, both “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” and “Moon Knight” garnered approximately 1.8 million views. Following closely behind in third place was “WandaVision”, which accumulated around 1.6 million views.

Pixar Disney Movies & TV Series

Disney Plus offers an entire library of Pixar films and content.
In addition to the movies, Disney Plus also features Pixar shorts, documentaries, and original series such as “Forky Asks A Question”. 

Pixar and Disney quickly embraced the charming character Forky from “Toy Story 4” and brought his presence through the Disney Plus short series “Forky Asks a Question”.
In 2020, Pixar won its first Emmy for the Disney Plus exclusive animated short-form series. 

In 2021, Disney-Pixar’s “Luca” emerged as the most-streamed movie in the US, accumulating a total of 10.6 billion minutes of viewing time. As a result, rather than following a traditional theatrical release, the film opted for a direct release on Disney+.

Star Wars Disney Movies & TV Series

Disney Plus is the ultimate destination for Star Wars fans.
Subscribers can access the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, and various spin-off films. 

The Star Wars live-action franchise on Disney Plus comprises four prominent television series: 

• The Mandalorian
• The Book of Boba Fett
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Andor. T

The Mandalorian became one of the most sought-after original series in the U.S. in 2021, securing the second position.
Building on this success, Obi-Wan Kenobi broke the record for the most streamed series on Disney Plus in the U.S. in 2022.

International Disney Plus Products Data

Disney Plus Star

In February 2021, Disney introduced Disney+ Star for international subscribers.
Star includes content from various genres, such as movies, TV shows, and original series, catering to a more mature audience. Disney Plus Star is unavailable in the US or Latin America, as a significant portion of this content can be found on Hulu and Star+, respectively.

As of April 2023, Disney+ had 58.6 million international subscribers and an average monthly revenue of $5.93 per paid subscriber. 

Disney Plus Hotstar

Disney+ Hotstar is a subscription-based streaming service in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, offering a wide range of content in 8 different languages.
In 2022, Disney+ Hotstar recorded a revenue exceeding 32 billion Indian rupees.

As of April 2023, Disney+ Hotstar had 52.9 million international subscribers and an average monthly revenue of $0.59 per paid subscriber. 

Disney Plus Premier Access Data

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney introduced an option called Disney+ Premier Access, which enabled subscribers to enjoy Disney’s major releases for an extra fee of $29.00 per movie, the premium video on demand (PVOD) model.

The live-action adaptation of Mulan introduced Disney+ with Premier Access in select countries on September 4, 2020.
It was later made available to all subscribers for free on December 4. 

In 2021, Disney reported a total revenue of $933 million from the combined sales of Black Widow, Cruella, Jungle Cruise, Raya and the Last Dragon, and 13 UFC pay-per-view bouts on ESPN+ through PVOD. This revenue figure marked a significant increase of 70% compared to the $550 million generated from the premiere of Mulan and 11 PPV UFC fights in the previous fiscal year.

As of June 2023, Disney has not made any official announcements regarding releasing additional Premier Access movies in 2023.

GroupWatch and SharePlay on Disney Plus Data

GroupWatch and SharePlay are features offered by Disney+ to enhance the shared streaming experience, but they have some differences.

Disney Plus offers a shared streaming experience called SharePlay for subscribers using iPhone, iPad, or Apple T.V. With SharePlay, users can watch content while on a FaceTime call with friends and family. All participants in a SharePlay session must have an active Disney+ subscription to enjoy the synchronized experience.

Account Sharing Policy Data 

Disney Plus offers the flexibility of creating up to seven user profiles per account, enabling multiple individuals to personalize their viewing experience.
Additionally, Disney Plus allows streaming on up to four devices simultaneously, making it convenient for households with multiple users. 

Like other streaming services, Disney Plus does not permit sharing of accounts between different households.
However, unlike its main competitor Netflix, Disney Plus has not implemented strict measures to crack down on password-sharing practices.

Users also have the option to download content for offline viewing, with no limitations on the number of downloads.
The platform supports high-quality streaming in resolutions up to 4K Ultra H.D., enhanced with Dolby Vision and HDR10 for vibrant visuals. 

Disney Plus Timeline

• 2015 – The Walt Disney Company launches DisneyLife in The UK to test the streaming market.
  For a monthly subscription fee of £9.99, DisneyLife is accessible in the UK on mobile devices, tablets, and TVs (through Airplay, Apple TV, and Chromecast).
• 2016: Walt Disney Company invests $1 billion for a 33 percent stake in BAMTech.
• 2017: Walt Disney purchases the majority stake in BAMTech for $1.58 billion. The company announces plans to launch a new streaming service under the Disney+ brand, leading to the termination of its contract with Netflix.
• 2019: A trial version of Disney Plus launches in The Netherlands on September 12. The streaming service goes live in U.S. and Canada on November 12 of the same year. 
• 2020: Disney Plus launches Premier Access for the release of Mulan in response to movie theatre closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscribers can access new movie releases for an additional premium price of $29.99. 
• 
• 2021: Disney Plus surpasses 100 million subscribers worldwide. 
• 2022: The highly anticipated Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney Plus.
  Obi-Wan Kenobi sets a new record as the most-streamed original series on Disney Plus, attracting 2.14 million households on its debut weekend. 
• 2023: Disney Plus receives its first Academy Award nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category for the Italian film “Le Pupille“.

Disney Plus Demographics

As of Q2 2023, Disney Plus boasted 157.9 million paid global subscribers.
46.3 million of these subscribers are from The US and Canada.

Based on Digital TV Research’s forecast, Disney Plus is anticipated to gain 140 million subscribers between 2021 and 2026, resulting in a total subscriber count of 271 million.
Approximately 102 million of these subscribers (38% of the total) in 2026 are expected to be from the 13 Asian countries where Disney+ operates under the Disney Hotstar brand.

Users in the US

A Nielsen study reported that the majority (45%) of Disney Plus’ user base in the US falls between the ages of 2 and 17, followed by 23% in the 18-34 and 35-54 age brackets. Additionally, users aged 55 and above make up 9% of the Disney Plus demographic.

The racial and ethnic demographics of Disney+ users in the U.S. show that 69% of subscribers are white and 17% are Hispanic.
The remaining 10% are Black, 2% are Asian, and 2% belong to other racial or ethnic groups.

As for viewer frequency, 11% of U.S. adults streamed Disney Plus daily in 2022.

• 6% of the respondents were male.
• 5% of the respondents were female.

Top Disney Plus Users by Country

Disney+ has gained a massive following worldwide, with over 157 million subscribers in 150+ countries. The service continues expanding its reach to new markets through features like Disney Plus Star, contributing to its subscriber growth. 

With 52 million subscribers, India is at the forefront as the country with the highest number of Disney+ subscribers. The United States closely follows with 42 million subscribers. 

Disney Plus Business Data 

Disney Plus is a subsidiary company of Disney Streaming.
Disney Streaming refers to the division of The Walt Disney Company that focuses on developing and operating streaming services. It encompasses various streaming platforms, including Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN+, and other digital media services offered by Disney. 

Disney Streaming headquarters are located in Chelsea Market, Manhattan, New York.
Tech locations in the U.S. include Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Orlando, and Seattle. 

In 2022, Alisa Bowen was named President of Disney Plus.
Since its launch in 2019, Bowen has been responsible for overseeing the worldwide business operations of Disney’s streaming platforms, notably Disney Plus. 

According to Flix Patrol’s list of top-performing movies and TV series on Disney Plus in 2023, it is evident that Disney movies have a timeless appeal.
They can be enjoyed repeatedly, regardless of the number of years that have elapsed.

Top Movies on Disney Plus in 2023 

1. Moana
2. Encanto 
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
4. Turning Red
5. Avatar 
6. Coco
7. Avengers: Endgame 
8. Strange World
9. Peter Pan & Wendy
10. Frozen. 

Top TV Shows on Disney Plus in 2023 

1. Bluey
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. The Mandalorian 
4. Modern Family
5. The Simpsons
6. Family Guy
7. Malcolm in the Middle 
8. How I Met Your Mother
9. Criminal Minds
10. Gravity Falls

Disney Plus Competitor Statistics 

With its vast library of beloved Disney classics, popular franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, and original programming, Disney Plus has managed to carve out a unique position.

Disney Streaming, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, reported a combined total of 221 million subscriptions on August 10, 2022.
This figure surpassed the subscriber count of Netflix, which had reported 220.7 million subscribers as of July 2022.

Both Disney and Netflix have introduced lower-priced ad-supported tiers to appeal to cost-conscious consumers.

With a monthly price of $7.99 (with ads tier) or $10.99 (ad-free tier), Disney Plus is recognized as one of the most affordable streaming services. Whereas Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max charge nearly twice the price of a Disney Plus subscription.

As per a Variety Intelligence report, Disney+ could surpass Netflix’s market share by 2027.
By 2037, Disney Plus (including Disney Hotstar) is expected to exceed Netflix’s 420.4 million subscribers and reach a total of 454 million subscribers worldwide.

Historically, Disney has consistently outspent Netflix by a significant margin with its content spending. 
In 2018, Disney’s content spending reached nearly $24 billion, while Netflix spent $12 billion on content during the same period. 

Fast forward to 2022, and Disney’s content spending is estimated to have increased to $33 billion, representing an eight billion dollar rise.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s projected content spending remained at $17 billion, the same as the previous year.

FAQs

Sources

• Statista
• The Walt Disney Company
• Disney Plus
• Google Play 
• Goldman Sachs
• Disney Computer Share
• Business Wire
• Forbes
• SEC
• Bloomberg
• Penthera
• eMarketer
• Crunchbase
• Marvel
• Digital T.V. Research
• Sensor Tower
• Observer
• Starwars News Net
• Proactive Investors
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
• Deadline
• Nielsen
• Twitter
• Flix Patrol
• Variety Intelligence