Disney+ gained 11.7 million subscribers last quarter (calendar Q421), outpacing all streaming services while Netflix added 8.3 million new subscribers. Netflix shares fell when it forecast just 2.5 million new subscriber additions for the first quarter of 2022.
CNBC:
Netflix
• 222 million global paying subscribers (up about 8.3 million)
• 75.22 million paid memberships in U.S. and Canada (increased 1.19 million from last quarter)
• Average revenue per user, or ARPU, for U.S. and Canada is $14.78 (up $0.10 since last quarter)Disney
• Disney+, including Hotstar: 118.1 million subscribers (up 11.7 million from last quarter); $4.41 global ARPU (up $0.29 per month from last quarter)
• Hulu subscription video on demand, or SVOD, only: 40.9 million subscribers (up 1.2 million from last quarter); $12.96 ARPU (up $0.21 from last quarter)
• Hulu SVOD+Live TV: 4.3 million subscribers (up about 300,000 from last quarter), $87.01 ARPU (up $2.12 from last quarter)
• ESPN+: 21.3 million subscribers (up 4.2 million from last quarter), $5.16 ARPU (up $0.42 from last quarter)Amazon Prime Video
• Amazon increased the price of its annual Prime membership for the first time in four years to $139 from $119. The cost of monthly prime memberships will increase to $14.99 from $12.99. This change went into effect Feb. 18 for new members and will kick in March 25 for current members.
• In April, founder Jeff Bezos said more than 175 million Amazon Prime members had streamed shows and movies in the past year. No updates have been given in the last three quarters.Apple TV+
• In September, a showbiz union representing behind-the-scenes workers says Apple claimed less than 20 million Apple TV+ subscriptions in the U.S. and Canada as of July 1. Apple did not update Apple TV+ subscribers this quarter.
• Apple hasn’t broken out ARPU for Apple TV+
MacDailyNews Take: Apple won’t report Apple TV+ subscribers until- one day, boom! – they do. Unlike the rest, Apple TV+ is doing this the hard way: building up a library of high quality content from scratch. Apple is running a marathon, not a sprint. Apple TV+ subscriber gains will come with time.
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I wouldn’t have gotten Disney+ if it wasn’t for Peter Jackson’s Get Back doc on The Beatles.
Apple doesn’t have any legacy properties to build upon. No James Bond, no Star Wars, Marvel, DC, nothing.
TV series are great, but they must produce 20 to get 1 that brings in more subscribers…
Movies: This is where I see the best play. If Apple can purchase one blockbuster movie per quarter, and promote them much more heavily so than they have been doing – like blitz the market with advertising – they could have something.
Apple could purchase Maverick for a crazy number. That’s okay, because subscribers drop off much less rapidly than they would sign up for such a movie.
If they exclusively purchased Mission Impossible franchise (no, not a huge Tom Cruise fan – ha!), or even acquired the exclusive rights for MI7, these moves would bring in millions of subscribers. Maybe 10m+ over two quarters.
If Apple TV+ does have quality content, then they can keep a mass majority of those subscribers. And at $4.99, not too many will ditch. That’s not even a medium latte coffee now-a-days.
I get Apple TV+ as part of the Apple One family plan. Jumped on Disney+ pre-launch and secured 3 years for the price of 2 by pre-paying. I also pay for Netflix but receive HBO max free on my AT&T cellular plan and Peacock for free through Comcast.
Of all the services, I enjoy the quality of content on Apple TV+ tv shows the most. Suspicion is one of the new shows I really enjoy (tend to like dramas). Anxiously waiting for the return of Tehran. Defending Jacob was excellent. Thought For All Mankind was well done. Servant was particularly good the first season. Home Before Dark was enjoyable though it had more of a Disney, family-friendly feel.
The movie releases have been hit or miss. Thought Tom Hank’s Finch was better then Greyhound. Cherry was just ok.
Point is, it would be hard not to find $5/mo in value with what Apple has been producing. It probably can’t be your only streaming service if you watch a lot of tv, but it has a lot of hidden gems beyond Ted Lasso.