Disney+ Total Users Expected To Surpass Netflix Subscribers by 2026

Disney+ has proved to be a fast-growing streaming service and a noteworthy competitor for Netflix. Now, Digital TV Research has analyzed the latest forecast data for the two streaming services, further confirming that Disney+ is on the rise.

Reports indicate that Disney+ will reach 294 million subscribers by 2026, exceeding Netflix’s estimate of 286 million users. Though this is the case, Digital TV Research confirms that “Disney+ will only have more subs than Netflix in one country — India: 98 million Disney+ Hotstar subscribers versus 13 million for Netflix.”

Since Disney+ Hotstar is expected to roll out to 13 Asian countries by 2026, Asian countries “will supply 108 million (37 percent) of the global Disney+ subscriber total, but only $2.62 billion (13 percent) of the platform’s revenues by 2026. Hotstar subscribers pay less than a third of the monthly subscription fee of their U.S. counterpart,” said Digital TV Research analysis Simon Murray.

Even though Disney+ is forecasted to exceed the number of Netflix subscribers, 2026 will see Netflix pull in approximately $39.52 billion USD in global revenue, whereas Disney+ will hit only half of the amount at $20.76 billion USD.

Both streaming services have promised to continue to invest in original programs. Disney+ has evidently benefited from shows such as The Mandalorian, while Netflix has seen rising viewership with shows such as The Crown and Bridgerton.

Digital TV Research has also predicted that Amazon Prime will hit 184 million users, HBO Max with 50 million and Apple TV+, 11 million by 2026.

In other entertainment news, Netflix is offering full scholarships to Tokyo anime school.