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The streaming market is led by Netflix with 247.1 million subscribers, followed by Amazon Prime Video with a base of 200 million. In third place is Disney+ with 146 million users. However, Walt Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu, which was founded in 2007 and has more than 48 million subscribers and focuses primarily on action films, crime and comedies, and Comcast owns a third.
Photo: Silas Stein / dpa Picture Alliance via AFP
Disney also owns 80 percent of ESPN+, which focuses on sports and has 24.9 million subscribers. Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s big plan is to merge Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. According to the agreement between the companies, Disney can buy Comcast from Hulu in 2024, the value of the acquisition will be determined by independent experts.
Hulu’s shared ownership structure has led to a years-long saga between the companies, but Comcast wants to get as much money out of the deal as possible, so negotiations won’t be easy and short. However, if the merger goes ahead, it would fundamentally change the streaming market. After the merger of the three platforms, Disney has 219.1 million users
It would take second place from Amazon and Netflix would have more serious competition than ever before.
In the US, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ can be purchased in one package at a reduced price, while in Europe countless Hulu series, such as Murder in the House, can be seen on Disney+. Starting in December, a beta version of the Hulu catalog will be available to American subscribers on the Disney+ app. The official launch date of the combined application is expected to be in March 2024.
Streaming is becoming increasingly important and last July, for the first time, Americans spent more time watching TV on streaming services Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and others than on cable TV. Young people in the UK hardly watch TV anymore and prefer streaming platforms. Therefore, it is understandable that Disney takes second place in the market.
But it is also a fact that the age of cheap streaming subscriptions is over and more and more service providers are abolishing password sharing and hoping for new subscriptions from existing users. Not only will the price change, new subscription models will also be available: In addition to the completely ad-free services, cheaper versions with advertising will also appear.
Because we deserve it: People aren’t giving up their internet and streaming subscriptions anyway
According to the expert, digital services are among the basic infrastructures such as water and electricity, so doing without them is out of the question. This applies even more to the younger generation, which gives service providers the opportunity to increase prices. In fact, the weak signal strength and unstable network connection make subscribers switch service providers.
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