Half of US families already subscribe to Disney+
March 17, 2020
Findings from Ampere Analysis indicate that since launching in the US in November 2019, Disney+ has been disproportionately successful in engaging two core target audiences in its home market. According to the company’s latest wave of its Consumer media tracker, half (50 per cent) of US broadband homes with children under 10 in their household have already subscribed to Disney+, with the array of new and classic Disney movies a key draw.
The service has also been successful in converting 18-24-year olds – more than four in 10 (41 per cent) indicated that they had access to the service. For this group, the Marvel films and the success of The Mandalorian will have been key.
Who is subscribing to Disney+?
Internet households with children currently make up 55 per cent of all Disney+ subscribers in the US. One in five Disney+ subscribers are aged between 18-24. Ampere Analysis identified these two key target groups for Disney+ in a pre-launch study last year.
The latest research from Q1 2020 shows that Disney+ has been successful in converting consumers in both target groups, with 42 per cent of all US respondents with children under 18, and 41 per cent of all those aged 18-24 already taking the service.
Documentary dominates commissioning
With a large early subscriber base secured, Disney+ now needs to shift strategy to focus on customer retention, believes Ampere Analysis. Original series will be crucial to maintaining regular use of Disney+. The analysis shows that of individuals with access to Disney+ in the household, roughly half are currently using the service on a monthly basis.
Of the 56 new titles Disney+ currently has in production, the biggest volume at 19 are Documentary, followed by Children & Family at 15. With the acquisition of National Geographic assets through its merger with Fox last year, Disney is in a strong position to produce high-quality, family friendly Documentary content for its streaming service. While Disney+ will be looking outside its core audience for future growth, its continued focus on Children & Family, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy ensures that there will be content which will continue to appeal to both those with children in the household and younger consumers who make up Disney+’s core audience.
Minal Modha, Consumer Research Lead at Ampere Analysis said: “The latest figures from our Consumer media tracker indicate a very promising start for Disney+, with success in converting its two most important target audiences. It will now be key for Disney to ensure it retains these customers with a mix of new Disney+ originals and new release movie titles. Furthermore, while there is still room for growth among both the two core demographic groups, it will be imperative for Disney+ in the longer term to broaden out its content offering to appeal to a wider audience.”
Disney+ launches in the UK next week on March 24th.