Disney+ 50-Million Milestone Could Give Netflix Reason To Worry

Almost everybody knew that Disney launching its own streaming service would be big. They just disagree whether with will be a big success or a big flop. There are, of course, still some who doubt about the longevity of Disney+, predicting that the hype and the numbers would soon dwindle. At least for now, that isn't yet the case as Disney celebrates reaching another milestone that could push Netflix to take more drastic measures.

When it launched back in December, Disney boasted an immediate 10 million subscribers on day one. Three months later, it would shout about reaching 28.6 million subscribers. Five months in, that number has almost doubled to 50 million and its growth rate will give rival streaming services pause for thought.

Naturally, it's hard not to compare it with Netflix, the current king of video streaming. It took two years for it to get 30 million subscribers, something Disney+ did in just months. And while 50 million is just a third of Netflix's subscribers, it has been at this business for more than a decade.

Of course, you could say that Disney+ has an unfair advantage. Its properties include Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm's Star Wars, even National Geographic. It is also standing upon years of content that Netflix didn't have access to when it started. Disney+ also came at an opportune time when video streaming is almost too common. To say that it is standing on the shoulders of giants wouldn't be an understatement.

Disney+ has expanded its reach in Western Europe and India in the past weeks, just in time for staying at home. It has also moved up its schedule for releasing movies ahead of time. There is now even word that the upcoming Artemis Fowl adaptation would skip cinemas entirely and debut on Disney+, something only an all-powerful Disney can afford to do.