Disney Having More Subscribers Than Netflix Isnt The Whole Truth – Topplaywriting
Disney reportedly has more streaming subscribers than Netflix, and while the numbers are accurate, it may not actually mean what you think. Disneys combined streaming platform subscriber count has surpassed Netflix, but the numbers dont tell the whole story. The reported subscriber numbers dont just account for Disney+, but also Hulu and ESPN Plus, which are all owned by Disney, meaning theres some important nuances to what those numbers actually represent.
As the first major streaming platform, Netflix has led the market in total subscribers for years, but now with competing platforms like HBO Max and Disney+ launched by legacy media giants, theres a lot more competition in the streaming space. Netflixs recent subscriber dip indicates the market may be reaching saturation, meaning Netflix may struggle to maintain as significant of a lead (or any lead at all) as the platform with the most subscribers in the long term, and Disneys recent growth is proof of that.
Disneys streaming platforms have reportedly reached a combined total of 221 million subscribers, surpassing Netflixs 220.7 million subscribers, but theres a few key details essential to understanding those numbers. The most important difference to note is Disneys subscribers dont all belong to Disney+, theyre a combined total including Disneys other platforms, Hulu and ESPN+, while Netflixs subscribers all belong to the single Netflix platform. Therefore, Netflix is still the biggest streaming platform, but Disney may be the biggest streaming company.
The combined number means we can also assume some of Disneys subscribers could be double or triple counted, and while thats a fine way to measure total combined monthly subscriptions, it doesnt measure the actual size of the customer base or the number of individual households with a subscription. As a result, its fair to assume Netflix still has the largest subscriber footprint, while Disney has higher revenue per subscriber since some of its customers are subscribed to more than one Disney streaming platform.
The Disney numbers also dont specify whether or not theyre paying customers. Since Disney+ and other Disney platforms have been available for free for certain subscribers, or for a lower monthly subscription cost, the total count of paying subscribers is likely still lower than Netflix. Ultimately, the claim is factually accurate in that Disneys combined platforms have more total subscribers than Netflix, but if the numbers were adjusted for double or triple counted subscribers and non-paying subscribers, Netflix doesnt come out ahead as the top single platform when it comes to subscriber count, but likely also the top streaming provider overall. Disneys streaming growth is certainly impressive, but it doesnt quite stack up to Netflix just yet.
New Streaming Releases Are Constantly Breaking Viewership Records. It seems like every new streaming release is followed by claims that its the biggest ever for its platform, but can this data actually be trusted? Viewership data and other information about the popularity of new streaming content isnt always easily available, yet streaming platforms seem to report record-breaking performance for every new release. Without the transparency of traditional box office numbers or TV ratings, the data provided by streaming services like Netflix about the performance of their new releases is often the best indicator of the success of a given movie or show, but how reliable are those claims?
When movies are released in theaters, the revenue from each ticket purchase is reported as a combined box office figure, while rating surveys like Nielson have been consistent indicators of what people were watching on TV. Even straight-to-home media releases and pay-per-view VOD purchases are all reported as quantifiable measurements of financial success. With the advent of streaming, viewership data is now only properly measurable by the streaming platforms themselves, but with a lack of transparency or wider context around this limited data, it can be hard to know what these reports mean outside of the marketing benefit to streamers claiming a new release is its most popular and set new viewership records.