Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Business

Streaming service Disney+ crosses 50 million paid subscribers globally

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with displayed "Disney" logo is seen on the keyboard in front of displayed "Streaming service" words in this illustration taken March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

Walt Disney Co <DIS.N> said on Wednesday that Disney+ has attracted more than 50 million paid users, with 8 million of them coming from India where the video streaming service was rolled out last week.

Rival Netflix Inc <NFLX.O>, which has services available in over 190 countries, has nearly 167 million paid subscribers globally as of its last reported quarter.

The coronavirus pandemic, and the resulting move across the world towards working from home, has driven a boom in usage of online gaming, streaming and communications.

Disney+ was rolled out in eight European countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland, in the last two weeks, the company said. It was launched in the United States in November.

The service is available in India in conjunction with the Hotstar streaming platform, which was acquired as part of Disney's $71 billion purchase of Twenty-First Century Fox in 2019.

(Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Anil D'Silva)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.