At the same time Netflix is adding subscribers, we now anticipate that Robert Iger will be forced to declare Disney+ is losing subscribers at the latest earnings call.
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It is not the sort of “warm welcome” that newly-returned CEO, Bob Iger, probably wants to see. Instead of having good news covering the outcomes of his start back at the helm, it is now looking like Disney lost subscribers to Disney+ during his first quarter in charge. This is a tremendous problem for Disney and may also point to a need to reevaluate future projections for the subscription service and how many customers it is likely to acquire.
As of October, the total number of subscribers was pegged at 164 million accounts:
Now, Disney+ is looking at a steep loss of subscribers. Spin is beginning already, with some outlets blaming a price hike, others blaming a sports issue in India.
As for subscriber growth, analysts predict the total Disney+ user pool will be 161.1 million, a loss of around 3 million compared to the previous quarter. The expectation is that a recent price hike prompted some consumers to drop the service.
— Sarah Whitten, CNBC
It is unlikely that major outlets might admit that Disney+ could lose subscribers due to their heavy politicization and move to the ideological left with their children’s content. However, it’s certainly not something I am going to discount. We’ve watched closely as Disney has had its favorability statistics fall dramatically in the last two years. We also must note that Robert Iger has been the main catalyst for introducing those changes. So any thoughts that Disney might step away from Ligtyear, Strange World and Proud Family style content are unlikely.
Now one thing worth watching is expectations and informational manipulation. Something to wonder is whether or not this 3 million loss anticipation is a setup to create a particular expectation and soften a, let’s say, 2 million subscriber loss. In other words, drop the expectation low enough and even a loss is seen as a win to some degree. But if Disney+ actually lost more than anticipated — woah — get ready to see a huge change in investor sentiment for the company.
It’s all going to be very interesting and we’ll cover it over on the Valliant Renegade Show. See you there!
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I hate saying this, but I hope it’s not the end of Disney+!??
3 million isn’t that bad. A 2% loss. But still a loss. So they’re going to blame Chapek? They just released another hideous Woke content on Disney+ along with Strange World and Lightyear. The cancellations will continue.