At the beginning of this week, it was reported four times as many people have searched how to cancel Disney+ subscriptions compared to Netflix.
LightShed Partners carried out the research, which Cord Cutters News reported on. A number of factors are at play here, but it’s at least somewhat alarming for the Mouse House after its November 12 streaming launch.
Is this a sign that Disney+ won’t be as influential? Did some people change their mind about which payment plan to commit to? What else could have contributed to this mass exodus?
Account hacks and limited release
Many Disney+ accounts have been hacked. It’s easy to look at that as a reason for cancellation searches.
Some users may not have been super careful about using a unique password, so it makes sense to reboot. This could ultimately result in those with hacked accounts returning upon greater security precautions.
But part of the reason for the hacks has to be attributed to Disney+’s limited rollout. Last Tuesday’s launch saw the streaming platform released only in the Netherlands, the U.S. and Canada. Europe won’t be able to enjoy Disney+ until March 2020.
A dearth of original content
Disney+ owns the rights to Star Wars, and has access to all its animated features and the entire Pixar catalog. However, those IPs are so popular that consumers likely have them in some form already. The incentive to stick with Disney+ is therefore limited at the moment.
One new, exciting adventure fans have latched onto is The Mandalorian. Its first episode was available upon launch. The eight-episode TV series is the first live-action Star Wars adventure for the small screen.
With the limited release, though, mass piracy of that show in particular is likely to ensue. It’s going to take some time before Disney+ builds up its original programming. That shouldn’t be a long-term deterrent for prospective and current subscribers.
It seems the demand for original content is still high. Netflix has cranked out so much of it that it’s taken heavy losses in recent years. Nevertheless, they’ve had enough mega hits to justify the investments, most notably Stranger Things.
Bottom line: this soon shall pass
Disney+ cancel inquiries aren’t worth fretting over just yet. Disney is such a gigantic force in the entertainment business. Its streamer had technical problems on launch day, and this early adversity certainly isn’t ideal.
Having said that, Disney+ will recover. Netflix still has its work cut out to compete into the future. The companies’ stocks were going in opposite directions not long after Disney+ went live. There’s a reason for that.
Netflix has expanded its partnership with Nickelodeon. This is likely in the spirit of producing more children-targeted content, a la Disney+. Also, Disney has taken a sizable bite out of Netflix’s catalog in the Streaming Wars as is.
Within the first 24 hours, Disney+ already landed 10 million subscribers in its limited release. That number should only continue to soar once these early growing pains pass and it’s available in other markets across the globe.