The Disney+ plan to leave Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the dust revealed

(Image credit: Disney)

last updated 3 March 2021

Wow! So that happened fast. Disney Plus is now on the verge of reaching 100 million subscribers, with the streaming service racking up 94.9 million subs worldwide in a little over a year.

To put that into perspective, Netflix, which has been operating its streaming service for over 13 years, has only roughly double that figure, with 203.6 million subscribers of its own.

So, in just over one year Disney Plus has managed to get half way to a total that Netflix took 13 years to. And, what's more, if reports from respected analysts are to be believed, it looks like Disney Plus is actually actively taking viewers from Netflix.

And, while in the short term subscribers to Netflix have risen due to the unique circumstances people have found themselves in over the past year, the long-term balance of power seems to be fundamentally shifting in Disney's favor.

After all, if it only took one year for Disney Plus to hit 94.9 million subs, how long will it be until it surpasses every other streaming service? And especially when it is about to deploy the motherload of special weapons into the online streaming battlefield.

That special weapon? Only that it is about to augment its already monstrous library of content with the entirety of the Star catalogue, which means overnight, from 23 February 2021, subscribers will gain access to thousands more movies and TV shows which, unlike a lot of Disney Plus's other content, is targeted purely at adults.

These are shows like 24, Atlanta, Desperate Housewives, The X-Files, Lost, as well as movies like Die Hard, The Darjeeling Limited, Deadpool 2, and Grosse Pointe Blank. If Disney Plus' content offering wasn't good enough already, with access to the complete libraries of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, The Simpsons and National Geographic, with Star it's going to be insane.

And, what's more, this new content offering fits perfectly into Disney Plus's plan for world domination. That plan? As I called out in T3's Disney Plus review, it intends to be "the new go-to streaming service for families", the service that in these troubled financial times, when families are finding themselves squeezed economically, is the one service they retain to keep themselves entertained.

And seriously, Disney Plus is absolutely killing it right now in this area. Just look at the massive, critically acclaimed new content events it has treated its subscribers to recently, such as Frozen 2, Hamilton, Onward, Soul, WandaVision, Mulan, and The Mandalorian. And then look at massive new shows incoming such as the Last Dragon and Loki, and it is easy to see how the content tap is well and truly turned on to maximum.

Can Netflix and Amazon Prime Video compete with this Disney Plus onslaught? Well, both services have recently been pulling the stops out in terms of their own content, and Netflix has finally stopped plunging itself into more and more debt, so it may not be time to cancel jus yet. But, at least from my perspective, Disney Plus offers the most for families in terms of ticking the 'content for everyone' box, and that is something that is going to entrenched markedly when the Star library is turned on in little over a week.

I'm excited, and you should be, too. Here comes the sizzle...

In more good Disney Plus news, Dinsey has revealed the poster for upcoming exclusive Cruella, which is a live-action prequel to classic animation 101 Dalmatians. According the released information for the show, the film "dives into the rebellious early days of one of the most notorious—and notoriously fashionable—villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil".

Cruella de Vil is played by Emma Stone, while Emma Thompson will play the Baroness, who is "the head of a prestigious fashion house who plucks Estella from obscurity as a burgeoning designer." The movie is set in London during the 1970s.

Cruella is due to arrive in cinemas in May, however due to the ongoing issues worldwide, rumor has it is will be moved to Disney Plus for launch, or see a split launch between Disney Plus and the cinemas. Either way, the movie will end up free to watch on Disney's streaming service, which is another good piece of news for subscribers.

Here at T3 we can't help but think this is another great example as to why it makes so much sense to have a Disney Plus subscription, as it is clear that at least in the short term, new Disney movies are going to find themselves released on Disney Plus sooner than what otherwise would of been expected.

See why Disney Plus won Best Streaming Service at the last T3 Awards

Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.