Say what you will about Disney, but they do not screw around when it comes to earning the big bucks. They may churn out some of the most family-friendly, cutesy movies in cinema history, but at their heart they’re a massive corporation hellbent on possibly taking over the planet (it could be worse).
Of course, their streaming service Disney Plus is no exception. According to a report from CNBC, the Netflix competitor is believed to be worth more than $100 billion, despite having only been launched two months ago. Apparently, investors have said they have high confidence in the venture even though it’s new to the scene.
The report goes on to say that Barclays have estimated Disney’s entire worth – which includes their studio and theme parks – to be around $213 billion, while Disney Plus (or Disney+) brings in a comfortable $107 to $108 billion. This means Plus is worth roughly half of all of Disney’s entire revenue, which is remarkable given how short lived it’s been so far.
It also recorded an estimated 10 million subscribers within its first week of launch, with market shares up by about 6% as of closing on November 11th, 2019. That subscriber number is estimated to increase to around 25 million by the end of the first quarter, too, and they aren’t stopping there, either, as they’re looking to have between 60 and 90 million subs within the next four years. A jaw dropping feat if they can manage it.
This enormous financial success is all in spite of the fact that Disney Plus actually removed some classic movies without warning, such as Home Alone and Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which put them on a bit of a rocky start for 2020. Having said that, it’s Disney, so at this point, they can pretty much do what they want without fear of much reprisal, right?
