Disney Overtakes Netflix in Terms of Subscribers

Disney has managed to overtake Netflix in terms of the number of subscribers on streaming services. In total, Disney already has over 221 million users, split between Disney+ (152 million), ESPN+ (22.8 million) and Hulu with Live TV (46.2 million). This is the first time that such a record has been achieved over Netflix - the number of subscribers of the latter exceeds 220 million, but the service is rapidly losing them.

Over the last quarter, Netflix's numbers have dropped by almost a million users. In addition, Disney has updated its forecast plans - it expects Disney+ to increase to 165 million subscribers by 2024, and Disney+ Hotstar to 80 million. Previously, the corporation expected that by the end of 2024 the total number of subscribers would increase to 260 million, but then split the achievement between Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar.

The decision was made due to the loss of rights to broadcast the Premier League cricket in India, which was one of the reasons for the popularity of the service in the local market. And now, due to this situation, the number of subscribers in this territory is expected to decrease.

In addition, Disney is going to spend about $32 billion on production of its products in the current financial year, while for Netflix this number is $17 billion. And in December, Disney+ will launch with and without ads, priced at $8 and $11, respectively.

Disney's streaming service has seen a surge in popularity in recent months, thanks to the release of several highly-anticipated original series and movies. The Mandalorian, in particular, has been a huge hit with fans and has helped to drive up subscriptions. With Disney+ now available in more than 150 countries, it looks set to continue its impressive growth in the coming year.