Disney+, Disney's (NYSE: DIS) streaming service that launched in November 2019, has now been downloaded 28.6 million times.
That figure is according to Disney's Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, who stated in the company's first-quarter earnings report that Disney+ has "exceeded even our greatest expectations."
"Thanks to our incredible collection of brands, outstanding content from our creative engines and state-of-the-art technology, we believe our direct-to-consumer services, including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, position us well for continued growth in today's dynamic media environment," said Iger in a statement.
In addition to offering a Disney+ subscription by itself, Disney also offers a subscription package that bundles Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, which can help keep costs down for users. By comparison, Disney's ESPN+ is up to 7.6 million subscribers and Hulu has 30.7 million subscribers.
Since the service was launched, Disney+ has undeniably seen quite a surge in popularity.
Between mobile devices, computers, and smart TVs, Disney+ was downloaded 10 million times on its first day alone. And perhaps not surprising given the saturation of Disney+ across all platforms, Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) announced that Disney+ trended first in searches for 2019.
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) appears to have helped these figures and subscription rates, considering that roughly 20% of Disney+ subscribers signed up through a one-year free trial offered by Verizon. That said, about half of subscribers signed up through the Disney+ website.
More data shows that as many as 85% of Disney+ downloads have been made by U.S. subscribers. The streaming service currently has only reached four international countries so far, so when the app becomes available globally this year, that ratio may change.
Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) remains a critical competitor of Disney+, currently standing at 167 million subscribers.
Interestingly, Netflix noticed a dip in traffic on mobile devices after Disney+ launched, however normal volume resumed quickly. Other major competitors Amazon Prime (NASDAQ: AMZN) and HBO (NYSE: T) were unaffected by the launch.
Disney's forecast for Disney+ includes high expectations in the range of 60 million to 90 million subscribers reached before 2025.