Disney+ showed remarkable performance in its second year since entering the Korean market
The streaming service poured successful K-content such as “Big Bet” and “Moving“, preventing a decline in subscribers in the third quarter.
As of November 8th, the total number of Disney+ subscribers for the third quarter was 150.2 million, an increase of 2.8% (4.1 million) compared to the previous quarter. The Korean-style supernatural drama “Moving”, which aired from August to September, contributed to surpassing 1 million daily active users (DAU) on the Korean Disney+ app. According to Mobile Index, the monthly active users (MAU) for September more than doubled from July, before the show aired, reaching 3,942,031. In the third quarter of this year, revenue increased by 13% to $5.553 billion compared to the same period last year, while operating losses decreased by 74% to $387 million.
The K-hero series “Vigilante“, which was unveiled on Disney+ on November 8th, became the No.1 show in the Disney+ Korean TV Show category just one day after its release. It also secured the top spot in the integrated content ranking compiled by the OTT integrated search and recommendation platform Kinolights as of November 10th.
It seems that even top Korean actors are turning their attention to Disney+. In fact, it is known that Disney+ pays actors more than regular terrestrial broadcasters per episode. For example, a male actor in his 30s who recently appeared in a Disney+ work received 400 million won per episode.
It appears that actor Song Kang-ho’s first drama since debut, “Uncle Samsik”, will also be broadcast on Disney+. According to reports, although the final contract with Disney+ has not been signed yet, it is certain that “Uncle Samsik” will not be broadcast on terrestrial, cable or satellite broadcasting stations.
Originally scheduled to air this year, the broadcasting was delayed, and it is expected to be available in 2024. The production cost for 10 episodes is rumored to be around 40 billion won.
Disney+ has come a long way from its previously lackluster performance. With its growth centered on Korean content, there is a possibility of a turnaround against streaming competitors such as Netflix, Coupang Play, TVING and Wavve. In the future, Disney+ is expected to demonstrate long-term growth through upcoming works like “Soundtrack”, “A Shop for Killers” and “Red Swan”.
Source: Naver
