Yesterday, The Walt Disney Company hosted a 3.5-hour virtual Investor Day event, providing dozens of updates across its many studios and subsidiaries. Unlike previous investor events, yesterday’s event was livestreamed for public access and branded as an update for investors and consumers alike. Following the Investor Day stream, Disney stock prices jumped to an all-time high.
At the event, Disney leadership revealed that the company has more than 137 million paid subscriptions across its streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), and now expects to hit 300-350 million worldwide subscribers by 2024. The company is also launching an additional general entertainment content brand for overseas markets. Named Star, the brand will launch in February as a part of Disney+ in Europe and as a standalone service in Latin America, offering content from Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, and more. During the presentation, the company also announced a slight price increase for its streaming subscriptions in the U.S. Starting on March 26, Disney+ will be $7.99 per month (up from $6.99) or $79.99 per year. The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle will be $13.99 per month.
These announcements were only the start for Disney’s massive event, which went on to provide trailers, first-look images, updates, and new project reveals across Lucasfilm, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios, National Geographic, ESPN, Hulu, FX, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Marvel Studios.
A variety of Disney’s popular kids’ brands are expanding with Disney+ content, including new series inspired by Up, Zootopia, Moana, The Princess and the Frog, Big Hero 6, and the Cars franchise. Also, Disney Animation Studios’ original movie Raya and the Last Dragon will premiere on Disney+ (with an additional access fee) on March 5, the same day that it will debut in theaters.
For a thorough recap of the dozens of programming updates, visit our sister site The Pop Insider and the official Investor Day fact sheet.
