Disney+ Trailing Netflix … in a Big Way

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 26, 2023

 

When it comes to streaming, we all hear that content is king. And Disney+, with the impressive studios and franchises that Disney owns, was supposed to challenge the top dog. But the Nielsen streaming rankings for 2022 show that Disney has plenty of work to do.

 

In general, Netflix remained the king of streaming in 2022, with Disney ranking tops in streaming movies.

As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, in the overall streaming category (i.e., original series, acquired series, and movies), Netflix held 11 of the top 15 spots, with Disney holding two, and one series (Criminal Minds) crossing over three streaming services (Netflix/Hulu/Paramount+).

 

How do these ratings/rankings work? As the Reporter explained: “Nielsen’s streaming ratings cover viewing on TV sets only and don’t include minutes watched on computers or mobile devices. The ratings only measure U.S. audiences, not those in other countries.”

 

Looking at original series, which is often viewed as the streaming Holy Grail, Netflix held 13 of the top 15 spots, with Amazon Prime Video earning the other two spots. None of the Disney+ big shows – for example, Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk – cracked the top 15 for 2022.

 

As for acquired series, Disney+ had two in the top 15 – the children’s cartoon show Bluey and The Simpsons. Ten went to Netflix, one for HBO Max, one for Amazon Prime Video, and then Criminal Minds across three streaming services.

 

But Disney+ was the clear leader in terms of streaming movies, holding 10 of the top 15 spots, with Netflix holding the other five. The following list offers the top streamed movies (again, based on minutes viewed) and it points to Disney benefiting from material leaning toward younger children, or families with younger children. 

 

1. Encanto (Disney+), 27.4 billion

2. Turning Red (Disney+), 11.4 billion

3. Sing 2 (Netflix), 11.3 billion

4. Moana (Disney+), 8.6 billion

5. The Adam Project (Netflix), 6.1 billion

6. Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+), 5.7 billion

7. Don’t Look Up (Netflix), 5.1 billion

7 (tie) Frozen (Disney+), 5.1 billion

9. Luca (Disney+), 5 billion

9 (tie) The Gray Man (Netflix), 5 billion

11. Zootopia (Disney+), 4.4 billion

12. Coco (Disney+), 4.3 billion

13. Eternals (Disney+), 4.24 billion

14. Frozen II (Disney+), 4.2 billion

15. Uncharted (Netflix), 4.18 billion

 

That’s not surprising, of course. After all, this is Disney. But Disney has made clear that in order for its streaming service to be a success, it needs to offer more than that. At least in 2022, its big franchises – Marvel and Star Wars – didn’t make that happen.

 

It should be noted that Season 1 of The Mandalorian – the Star Wars show on Disney+ - ranked fifth on Nielsen’s 2019 measure for original streaming series, and it ranked fifth again in 2020. Also, Marvel’s WandaVision ranked 14th in 2021. But that’s been it for Disney+ in terms of original streaming series.

 

The good news for Disney+? The Mandalorian Season 3 arrives in March of this year.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon. 

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. The latest in the series is Persecution: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Disney+ Playing a Role in Streaming Shift

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 31, 2020

Yes, America is binge watching ... big time. The latest Nielsen data show that the number of streaming minutes during the first three weeks of March jumped by 85 percent versus the same time last year, according to Nielsen data as reported by Variety.

The week of March 16 saw a jump in streaming minutes by 22 percent compared to the previous week, and up by 2.2 times the same week last year.

However, Variety also pointed out: “Note that Nielsen is reporting just streaming to TVs: The analysis doesn’t measure mobile or PC video streaming, so the total amount of online video U.S. consumers are watching is even higher.” Indeed, it’s safe to assume much, much higher.

The Nielsen data shows that Netflix during the week of March 16 led the way with 29 percent of TV-based streaming, followed by YouTube at 20 percent, Hulu at 10 percent and Amazon at 9 percent. Disney+ is not broken out, being included in the “other” category, which gathered 31 percent of TV-based streaming. 

Regarding Disney+ and others, Variety noted: “But Nielsen pointed out the ‘other’ category has seen an ever bigger rise for the most recent week measured. That bucket includes Disney Plus (which is not reported out by Nielsen currently) and the research firm speculated that the Mouse House’s streaming service is seeing a significant lift from kids staying home from school — along with ‘Frozen 2’ dropping three months early on Disney Plus.”

In addition, again based on the Nielsen data, USA Today broke down streaming shares compared to a year earlier:

But while Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and Hulu make up the vast majority of streaming activity on TV sets, Netflix and Hulu claimed a smaller share of that viewing than they did last year, the Nielsen data show.  Netflix claimed 29% of total streaming minutes for the week ended March 22, down from 36% from the equivalent week last year; Hulu accounted for 10%, down from 15%.  YouTube represented 20%, up from 19%.  And Amazon inched up to 9%, from 7%. And reflecting big growth in the number of new services, led by Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, the “other” category jumped to 31% from 23%.

We look forward to seeing total streaming numbers covering all devices, expecting that Disney+ will have an even more significant role in further shifting the streaming audience. 

The Walt Disney Company reported that as of early February, Disney+ had 28.6 million subscribers.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.