Disney+ hits 100 million subscribers: Why it matters

It took Netflix six years to hit 100 million subscribers in April 2017. Disney+ debuted in November 2019 and it has already hit that milestone, and there’s every reason to believe that number will keep climbing as new content hits the streaming service. It’s an impressive accomplishment in an already crowded market, and that’s why people need to pay attention.

The folks at Disney knew how to get people excited about their new service. They used their popular D23 Expo to announce all of the exciting projects coming to Disney+, both at launch and in the future.

By the time Disney+ debuted, fans were already eager to see what The Mandalorian was all about, and the interest was enough to push subscriptions to 28 million subscribers in the first three months.

If the Disney+ success stopped there, it would have been enough. However, COVID-19 sent Disney’s stock soaring.

The pandemic gave Disney+ a major edge in the “new” streaming market

When the pandemic arrived, millions of people around the world found themselves stuck at home. Disney Parks shut down, but Disney saw the potential that came with having its own streaming service and the ability to push their upcoming movies out on their own terms.

It was a massive success.

Since March 2020, fans have been tuning into new releases on Disney+ while also enjoying the vast assortment of shows, movies and specials in the Disney catalog.

Now that life is slowly returning to some semblance of normalcy, it’s likely that the number of new subscribers across all streaming platforms will encounter a plateau in subscribers as people enjoy getting back to things they enjoyed outside their homes.

Marvel’s next sequence of movies will debut in theaters once again, but so too will its new series like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki.

Disney+ grew to 100 million subscribers in record time, and it’s only going to keep growing as it introduces new content for an audience that will gladly tune in from home and in theaters. After spending so much time at home over the past year, fans have upgraded televisions and sound systems to create their own theater experience. It stands to reason that so long as Disney+ continues to offer quality content like The Mandalorian and all of the upcoming Marvel and Star Wars limited series, there will be people tuning in to watch it.

The next step will be to see how the streaming numbers shift as people start leaving their homes again. Disney+ is poised to remain a dominant force in the streaming market even no matter what, but the big mystery is how people will consume their entertainment in the future. Whether it’s at home, in theaters or a combination of both, Disney+ is in an excellent place to meet every demand.