Disney Plus attracted 86 million subscribers in the streaming platform’s first year, CEO Bob Chapek said Thursday.
Chapek added that streaming platforms owned by the entertainment agent have a total of 137 million people, including 38.8 million for Hulu and 11.5 million for ESPN Plus.
Speaking at an investors’ meeting Thursday, Chapek said Disney’s streaming numbers have helped balance out major losses the coronavirus pandemic inflicted on its parks and resorts. He outlined the platform’s programming slate in the year ahead, including 10 new Marvel and Star Wars series as well as 15 feture films, a combination of live action and animation, according to Axios.
The company has also seen significant success with its releases since most movie theaters shut down. Several movies set for theatrical release were hits for the platform in 2020, including “Artemis Fowl” and a filmed performance of Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
Pixar’s film “Soul” is set for a Christmas day release, while the platform’s first original program, “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian” has continued its success this year.
In the near future, the platform will release its animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon” for a onetime fee simultaneously with its March theatrical release. The company used the same model for the release of its live-action “Mulan” remake earlier in 2020 after the pandemic repeatedly delayed the theatrical release.
The news comes as the pandemic has hit many of the company’s low-level workers particularly hard. Disney announced in late November that it would lay off 32,000 workers at its parks in the first half of fiscal 2021.