The total number of Disney Plus ad-supported tier users has accidentally been revealed – and none other than Disney chief Bob Iger is behind the leak.
Yesterday (November 14), Disney released its Q4 2024 earnings report before holding its final earnings call of the year. It was during the latter that Iger unintentionally confirmed how many people have signed up to Disney Plus' ads subscription, with Disney's CEO later suggesting he didn't mean to put his foot in it.
Responding to a Wall Street Journal analyst's query about Disney's growth outlook for its primary streaming platform, Iger said (as reported by Deadline) that 37% of US-based Disney Plus' users had signed up to its cheapest subscription tier. In total, around 30% of the streamer's global fanbase currently own an ads-supported account, Iger added.
Okay, Iger didn't divulge specific numbers as part of his answer. But, using the above percentages and the total number of paid subscribers revealed in Disney's Q4 2024 earnings report, it's easy to work out how many people are signed up to one of the world's best streaming services' most affordable tier. In the US, 56 million use Disney Plus, meaning that around 20.7 million (37% of 56 million) are signed up to its ads tier. Globally, the platform boasts 122.7 million people, which equates to 36.8 million (30% of 122.7 million) total users.
For context, Netflix recently revealed – via Deadline – that 70 million people are signed up to its ads-based tier. However, while that figure is almost twice the size of Disney Plus' ads tier userbase, Netflix's total fanbase sits at 282.7 million. The percentage of users who are signed up to its cheapest program, then, only accounts for around 25% of its global fanbase.
Regardless, Iger's slip-up was a rare faux-pas on his part – and one he wasn't supposed to disclose to the assembled press and investors. Indeed, as the call continued, Deadline quotes Iger – during a hot-mic moment – as saying: "I don’t know if I was supposed to disclose those AVOD [advertising-based video on demand] numbers". Maybe not, Mr. Iger, but we'll take any insight into the inner workings of an entertainment behemoth whenever we can.
Iger's mistake notwithstanding, the three-month period running July to October has been pretty fantastic for Disney as a whole. On the streaming front, the world-famous company added 4.4 million new users to Disney Plus' worldwide fanbase and an extra 900,000 people on its sister streamer Hulu. Meanwhile, Disney secured huge theatrical wins at the global box office, with Deadpool and Wolverine and Inside Out 2 grossing over $1 billion apiece. The powerhouse duo recently joined our new Disney Plus movies guide, too, so you can watch them at home if you missed them on the big screen.
Despite these money-spinning triumphs, Disney isn't getting into the pre-festive season spirit and freezing the price of Disney Plus across the globe. In mid-September, the entertainment titan increased streaming subscription fees across the board, with Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus all receiving price hikes in mid-October.
With Disney Plus' password crackdown in full effect now, too, plus the introduction of a Disney Plus password-sharing fee – essentially, how much it'll cost you to grant access to Disney Plus to someone who doesn't live with you – it's just become more expensive to own a Disney Plus account. Don't be surprised, then, if the percentage of people signing up for an ad-supported subscription has increased significantly when Disney releases it Q1 2025 earnings report early next year.
