New data from Roy Morgan reveals Disney Plus is now Australia’s fourth most popular subscription television service, just months after its launch. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine explained that when it comes to multiple streaming subscriptions, Netflix plus Stan is the most popular combination. Netflix remains by far the nation’s most watched subscription television service, with 12.20 million Australians having access to it, an increase of 942,000 on a year ago. It is followed by Foxtel on 4.85 million (-98,000) and Stan on 3.70 million (+1.09 million). Levine added that Disney Plus, which only entered the Australian market in November 2019, now reaches 1.80 million viewers, placing it in fourth position ahead of Amazon Prime Video on 1.48 million (+914,000) and YouTube Premium on 1.48 million (+244,000).

Number of Australians with subscription television in the household

Levine said that while Netflix is the clear leader in subscription television services, there is growing competition to secure the attention of Australian viewers.
“Since entering the Australian market in 2015, Netflix has reshaped how we watch television. It created a product which allows users to make their own selection of uninterrupted television to watch whenever they want. Its success not only brought other players into the market, it forced commercial television to adapt by creating its own online streaming channels. Subscription television services continue to grow in Australia. Over the past year, an additional 893,000 people gained access to a streaming service in their household. All subscription television services have experienced an increase in viewers over the last year with the exception of Foxtel, which dropped by around 100,000 compared with a year ago.” Ms. Levine commented “Disney Plus is the latest provider in the market, and it appears to have landed with a bang. Despite only being available since last November, it has already secured around 1.8 million viewers, nearly half the current viewership of Stan. The current COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many Australians to self-isolate at home indefinitely, presents an unexpected opportunity for streaming companies such as Disney Plus to continue the momentum of customer growth in the months ahead,”

Number of Australians with leading subscription television combinations in the household