Disney Officially Runs Down Netflix in Global Subscriber Scale

By Daniel Frankel
( NextTV )
last updated

Both companies tout around 221 million paid streaming customers worldwide

Global Streaming Subscriber Scale
(Image credit: Championship Research)

When it launched Disney Plus on November 12, 2019, Disney had around 25 million subscribers for the Hulu joint venture it had just taken over, and ESPN Plus was just getting started. 

Netflix, at that point, had amassed nearly 165 million paid streaming customers around the globe. 

Also read: Disney Grows Streaming Subscribers to 221 Million

Just over 1,000 days later, Disney has officially run down Netflix, which lost nearly 1.2 million subscribers from January - June, finishing its second quarter with 200.7 million paid users worldwide. 

Combined across Disney Plus, Disney Plus Hotstar, Hulu and ESPN Plus, Disney ended its fiscal third quarter on July 2 with 221.1 million DTC streaming customers.

By 2024, Disney expects to have as many as 260 million streaming customers. Netflix is forecasting a return to narrow customer expansion in Q3. 

It's notable that Disney's revenue model is entirely different -- for example, many of those 221 million DTC subscribers pay for standalone Disney Plus and Hulu tiers that cost a fraction of what Netflix charges. ■

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!