Disney+ doubles subs, APAC expansion
August 13, 2021
By Nik Roseveare
The Walt Disney Company has revealed its Disney+ streaming service passed 116 million global subscribers in Q3, more than double year-on-year.
Its US-based services also saw growth, with Hulu up 21 per cent to 42.8 million subscribers and ESPN+ jumping 75 per cent to 14.9 million, for a total 174 million subscribers across the Disney streamers.
Disney’s total DTC revenue rose by 57 per cent to $4.3 billion, with operating losses dropping from $600 million to $300 million. Total group revenue stood at $17 billion, an increase of 45 per cent over last year’s Q3, as Disney’s theme parks and movie productions begin to recover from the pandemic.
On the back of strong of these strong numbers, The Walt Disney Company has confirmed that the Disney+ SVoD service will launch in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in November 2021.
The streaming platform is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand in APAC.
“The response towards Disney+ across Asia Pacific has exceeded our expectations, as consumers seek diverse entertainment content and are drawn to our portfolio of brands and franchises,” said Luke Kang, President, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. “We are pleased with the subscriber growth and partnerships forged in markets, and look forward to engaging with more consumers across the region – through unparalleled storytelling, creative excellence and cutting-edge content delivery.”