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Disney+ has won the first major battle of the Streaming Wars. According to Variety‘s Todd Spangler, Disney announced on Wednesday that its new streaming service has already signed up over 10 million people since launching in the early hours of November 12. The 10 million figure is far ahead of Wall Street’s early projections, which expected that Disney+ would hit the 8 million subscriber mark by the end of 2019.
According to Variety, Disney is touting “extraordinary demand” for its nascent service. The company claims that 10 million people have signed up for Disney+ in about 30 hours (as of publication time), but did not provide any additional information about its launch. Variety reports that, like its main streaming competitor Netflix, Disney does not plan to regularly release any streaming data or figures; instead, it will provide select information during its quarterly earnings calls. Disney’s 2019 Q4 earnings call is currently scheduled for February 2020.
While Disney’s 10 million sign-ups figure is leaps and bounds above industry expectations, it’s possible that the number could decrease in the coming days. A large portion of those 10 million customers (Disney did not specify how many) are likely participating in the service’s seven day free trial, and it’s possible that they could cancel the service after their trial is up.
However, at just $6.99 per month, Disney+ is an exceptional deal for cord-cutters, and an even better deal for Verizon customers, many of whom are eligible for a free year. Disney is also offering streaming bundles that include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for the low price of $12.99/month.
For more on Disney+, check out Decider’s comprehensive coverage of the new streaming service.
UPDATED 11/13/19 at 1:15 p.m. ET: According to The Verge‘s Julia Alexander, live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian also drew big numbers: the first episode was streamed more than 2 million times in its first day, excluding overnight and second-day viewing. With those numbers in mind, the total viewership figure for The Mandalorian premiere is likely even higher. The Verge also reports that the Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu bundle saw a jump in sign-ups after the Disney+ launch.
