• Central & East Europe
  • Features

Broadband TV News

Independent. Since 2003

  • Home
  • Newsline
    • Platforms
      • Cable
      • Connected TV
      • IPTV
      • Satellite
      • Terrestrial
    • Technology
    • HDTV
    • Channels
    • On Demand/VOD
    • Distribution
    • Central & East Europe
    • Event Coverage
      • Calendar of Events
    • Regulation/Legal
    • Marketing
    • Columns
      • Briel On
      • Chris Dziadul Reports
      • Clover’s Week
    • People
    • Finance
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Download Presentations
  • Events
    • Events Diary
    • BTN Events
    • Events Coverage
    • Submit the details of your event
  • About
    • Contacts
    • Our Privacy Policy – Terms and Conditions
    • Editorial Calendar
    • RSS & Social Networking
    • Mobile
    • Logos and Pictures
  • Advertise
    • Media Info
    • Hosted Events
    • Roundtable Video
    • Roundup Video
    • Mechanical Data
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Subscribe

Disney+ gathers momentum

February 12, 2021 11.15 Europe/London By Chris Dziadul

Disney began this year with close to 146.4 million paid subscribers to its steaming services.

As of January 2, Disney+, which includes Disney+ Hotstar in India and Indonesia, accounted for 94.9 million, up from 26.5 million as of December 28, 2019.

ESPN+, on the other hand, had 12.1 million (+83%) and Hulu 39.4 million (30%). Hulu’s total was made up of SVOD only at 35.4 million (+30%) and live TV and SVOD at 4 million (+25%). Significantly, Disney+’s ARPU fell by 28% between the two dates, from $5.56 to $4.03. This was in part due to the inclusion of Disney+ Hotstar, which has a significantly lower ARPU in India and Indonesia. Meanwhile, ARPU for Disney+ increased by 1%, from $4.44 to $4.48 due to an increase in retail pricing, partially offset by a higher mix of subscribers to the bundled offering available in the US.

ARPU for the Hulu SVOD Only service increased from $13.15 to $13.51 due to higher per-subscriber advertising revenue, a lower mix of wholesale subscribers and an increase in per-subscriber premium and feature add-on revenue. These increases were partially offset by a higher mix of subscribers to the bundled offering. ARPU for the Hulu Live TV + SVOD service increased from $59.47 to $75.11 due to increases in retail pricing, higher per-subscriber advertising revenue and an increase in per-subscriber premium and feature add-on revenue. These increases were partially offset by a higher mix of subscribers to the bundled offering.

Disney notes that DTC revenues for the quarter increased 73% to $3.5 billion and operating loss decreased from $1.1 billion to $466 million. The decrease in operating loss was due to improved results at Hulu, and to a lesser extent, at Disney+ and ESPN+.

The improvement at Disney+ was driven by an increase in subscribers, partially offset by higher programming and production cost amortisation and increased marketing and technology costs. The increases in subscribers and costs reflected the ongoing expansion of Disney+ including launching in additional markets. The current quarter included three months of Disney+ operations whereas the prior-year quarter included two months.

Commenting on the results, Bob Chapek, CEO, The Walt Disney Company, said: “We believe the strategic actions we’re taking to transform our Company will fuel our growth and enhance shareholder value, as demonstrated by the incredible strides we’ve made in our DTC business, reaching more than 146 million total paid subscriptions across our streaming services at the end of the quarter.

“We’re confident that, with our robust pipeline of exceptional, high-quality content and the upcoming launch of our new Star-branded international general entertainment offering, we are well-positioned to achieve even greater success going forward”.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Editor's Choice, Newsline, On Demand/VOD, Platforms Tagged With: Disney, ESPN, Hulu Edited: February 15, 2021 08:22

About Chris Dziadul

Chris is our Central & East Europe Editor. You can talk to Chris on Twitter @chrisdziadul or by email at cdziadul@broadbandtvnews.com

Latest News

  • BT adds Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 to Big Sport package
  • NENT Group and Telia fail on new distribution agreement
  • New leadership at Ultra HD Forum
  • MTV Play launches on Virgin TV
  • North American OTT TV revenues to double

White Paper

White Paper: An approach to implementing HbbTV on Android TV by Zattoo

By Broadband TV News Correspondent

HbbTV’s self stated goal is to “harmonize the broadcast, IPTV, and broadband delivery of entertainment to the end consumer through connected TVs and set-top boxes”.

Most Read

  • AT&T to spin off DirecTV
    AT&T to spin off DirecTV
  • NENT Group and Telia fail on new distribution agreement
    NENT Group and Telia fail on new distribution agreement
  • BT adds Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 to Big Sport package
    BT adds Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 to Big Sport package
  • Discovery+ goes live in the UK
    Discovery+ goes live in the UK
  • Sky concern over Italian football rights agreement
    Sky concern over Italian football rights agreement

Watch Video

About Us

Broadband TV News is the Industry’s No.1 Information Provider bringing news, analysis and comment on the delivery of digital television, around Europe and the World.

Broadband TV News

PO Box 499
Cambridge
United Kingdom
CB1 0AH
news@broadbandtvnews.com

Editions

  • Central & East Europe
  • Channels
  • Columns
  • Features
  • White Papers

Subscribe

Join over 40,000 readers to our Daily and Weekly emails. Complete the simple form to get the latest issue delivered direct to your inbox.

Click Here

Advertise with Broadband TV News

Broadband TV News offers a range of commercial possibilities from banner advertising to white paper hosting. Keep your brand at the front of buyer's minds.

Contact: Chris Griffin Commercial Director Tel: +44 7590 522475

Connect with Us

 

Copyright © 2021 Broadband TV News LLP · Log in