During an earnings call with investors, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney+ reached 28.6 million paid subscribers.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, these numbers exceed experts' initial predictions of 20 million to 25 million subscribers. The figures include those with the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ discounted bundle and comes a few months before the streaming service expands to Asia and Western Europe. Currently, residents of the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico have access to the platform.
Disney+ launched ahead of the company's exceptions, bringing in 10 million sign-up within 24 hours of the launch. By the end of 2019, Disney+ hit 26.5 million subscribers. However, despite the overwhelming success, the House of Mouse doesn't expect Disney+ to be profitable until 2024, reporting a $693 million loss in the direct-to-consumer and international segment during the first fiscal quarter.
Disney+ launched on Nov. 12 for $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year, and comes packed with content from the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. Launch day saw the debut of exclusive content such as The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, both of which have already begun production on their respective second seasons.