Disney's Ad-Supported Streaming Surges: 157 Million Active Users Revealed!

Exciting Streaming Milestone for Disney

Disney has made waves in the advertising world with its latest ad-supported streaming figures. At the recent Tech and Data Showcase during the CES, Disney's President of Global Advertising, Rita Ferro, announced that the company has reached an impressive 157 million monthly active users globally over the last six months, with 112 million of those users based in the U.S.

These numbers reflect the cumulative total across Disney’s streaming platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Ferro emphasized the company’s commitment to transparency regarding these figures. "Disney sits at the intersection of world-class sports and entertainment content, with the most high-value audiences in ad-supported global streaming at scale," she stated.

Methodology Behind the Numbers

Disney's monthly active user (MAU) statistics are calculated based on active accounts that have engaged with ad-supported content for more than 10 seconds. Each active account is multiplied by an average of 2.6 users per account, a figure that varies by application and region. Notably, this methodology excludes Hotstar and relies on first-party survey data from regions with an advertising tier.

Competitive Edge in Streaming

With this announcement, Disney is ahead of its competitors, including Netflix, which reported 70 million ad-supported MAUs, and Amazon, claiming over 275 million across its properties. Ferro highlighted that more than 50% of new subscribers to Disney+ are opting for the ad-supported tier, demonstrating a strong preference for this model among users.

The Future of Disney Advertising

Looking ahead, Ferro stressed the importance of consistent definitions of active users across platforms to ensure valid metrics for marketing partners. The company is witnessing steady growth in its ad plans and continues to attract a significant number of users to its ad-supported offerings.