Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Disney+ growth slowed in fourth quarter, but new markets are opening up

By

Disney+ added just 2.1 million subscribers in the three months leading up to October 2, 2021, the company reported in its fiscal fourth-quarter 2021 earnings, taking it to 118.1 million subscribers worldwide. That’s still a 60% increase year-over-year, however, and includes subscribers to the international Disney+ Hotstar and Star+ services.

For context, Netflix last reported 209.18 million paid subscribers as of July 20, 2021.

Recommended Videos

Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., tried to keep things in perspective on the earnings call that followed the release. “We remain focused managing our [direct-to-consumer] service [Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu] for the long term, not quarter to quarter.”

Disney+ on a TV.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

And there’s still growth to be had. Disney+ is poised to launch in South Korea and Taiwan on Friday, November 12 — Disney+ Day, which marks the 2-year anniversary of the launch of the service. And it’ll be available November 16 in Hong Kong. Chapek noted that Disney+ is now available in some 60 countries and in more than 20 languages.

Related

“Next year, we plan to bring Disney+ to consumers in 50-plus additional countries,” Chapek said, “including Central Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa.”

Elsewhere, other Disney-owned streaming services saw growth in the quarter. ESPN+ is up to 17.1 million paid subscribers, after adding about 100,000 more subs than Disney+ did for the quarter. The Hulu on-demand service added about 600,000 subscribers to stand at 39.7 million subs and saw its seventh straight quarter of growth since Disney took the reins. And Hulu With Live TV clawed its way back to 4 million subscribers after three straight quarters of losses.

“As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of Disney+,” Chapek said in the earnings release, “we’re extremely pleased with the success of our streaming business, with 179 million total subscriptions across our DTC portfolio at the end of fiscal 2021 and 60% subscriber growth year-over-year for Disney+. We continue to manage our DTC business for the long-term, and are confident that our high-quality entertainment and expansion into additional markets worldwide will enable us to further grow our streaming platforms globally.”

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Read more
Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?

Read more