Disney+ hits 100M subscribers

The Walt Disney Company on Tuesday announced that the streaming service Disney+ has gained more than 100 million subscribers.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Disney+ reached this milestone in the first 16 months of operation, performing better than competing streaming service Amazon Prime Video.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek reportedly told shareholders during a meeting on Tuesday that Disney’s streaming strategy was his priority, with plans to over 100 new titles to the service every year.

Much of the success of Disney+ has relied on well-known fan-favorites such the Star Wars spinoff “The Mandalorian” and the Marvel series “WandaVision,” which have been critically acclaimed and well-received in their respective fanbases.

The service recently raised the price of its subscription from $6.99 to $7.99, though the Journal notes that this price is less expensive than other comparable streaming services.

The Journal notes that Disney plans on bringing back characters from its movies such as Peter Pan, Luke Skywalker and Moana through new series and reboots.

The streaming service’s service success comes even though Disney was forced to rethink its strategy due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several highly anticipated theatrical releases such as “Hamilton” and “Mulan” were moved onto the streaming service and production schedules for several projects were impacted, the Journal notes.