So far, Disney+ has only been up. But now the streaming provider is coming under pressure for the first time and is losing paying customers – alarm from the streaming provider. The possible causes of the shrinkage are meanwhile quickly identified.

Disney+ loses customers for the first time

Unlike its competitor Netflix, Disney+ hasn’t had to deal with dwindling subscriber numbers so far. But now it also affects the model student among the streaming services. As the parent company now has to admit, Disney + lost 2.4 million subscribers in the last three months of 2022. The first decline since the start of the offer in 2019 (source: Variety).

In view of the current number of customers of 161.8 million, not so dramatic, but still a negative premiere that the provider will be less happy about.

In 2023, Disney+ has a lot of new content to offer:

Highlights of 2023 on Disney+

3 reasons for losing subscribers

But what are the possible reasons for the rather unexpected decline in customers? Three potential and understandable motives are recognizable for industry experts:

  • The majority of subscribers said goodbye to the Disney+ Hotstar offer in the Indian and South Asian markets. There they lost the streaming rights for the cricket matches in 2022 Indian Premier Leaguewhich ended up causing massive subscriber losses in those areas.
  • There are also losses due to Disney+ price increases. In the US, prices rose from $7.99 to $10.99 a month, and at the same time an ad-supported model was introduced at the original price of $7.99. According to Disney boss Bob Iger, this move resulted in only minor losses in subscribers.
  • Another possible explanation is the momentary one Abstinence from a large series, which draws attention. The last MCU series (She-Hulk) ran until the end of October, and Andor (Star Wars) also ended in November. With the third season of “The Mandalorian” from March 1st, the dry spell could end and lost customers could return.

Bottom line: The reasons for the current decline in customers are not worrying. The Disney+ strategy is still working in its entirety. But you can’t rest. In a market that is constantly producing new players (e.g. Paramount+ and Co.), someone like Disney should not take its own market position for granted.

Don’t want to miss any more news about technology, games and pop culture? No current tests and guides? Then follow us
Facebook
or Twitter.