The Numbers on Disney Plus Cancellations
Disney does not publish the exact number of people who have canceled Disney Plus, so no official figure exists. The company reports total subscriber counts each quarter to investors, but does not break down how many people left or why. What we know comes from Disney's earnings reports, which show subscriber gains and losses, and from third-party research firms that survey households about their streaming habits.
In late 2022 and early 2023, Disney Plus lost subscribers for the first time. The company reported losing 1.3 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2022, and another 1.2 million in the first quarter of 2023. After that, the company regained subscribers, though growth has been slower than in earlier years. These numbers represent the net change—gains minus losses—so the actual number of people who canceled was higher than the reported loss, offset partly by new sign-ups.
Research firms like Antenna and Churn Pro track cancellations by surveying households and analyzing credit card data. Their estimates suggest that in 2023, somewhere between 15 and 25 percent of Disney Plus households canceled in a given month, though these figures vary by season and by how the firm defines "cancellation." A household that pauses a subscription for a month may or may not be counted as a cancellation depending on the methodology.
Key Takeaways
- Disney does not publicly report how many people cancel Disney Plus, only the net change in total subscribers each quarter.
- Disney Plus lost subscribers in late 2022 and early 2023, but the actual number of cancellations was higher than the reported loss because new people were signing up at the same time.
- Third-party research firms estimate monthly cancellation rates between 15 and 25 percent, but these estimates vary depending on how cancellation is measured.
- Reasons for cancellation include price increases, password-sharing restrictions, and the shift toward ad-supported tiers.
Why Disney Plus Subscriber Numbers Fell in 2022 and 2023
Disney Plus raised its prices in December 2022, moving the ad-free plan from $10.99 to $13.99 per month. At the same time, the company introduced a cheaper ad-supported tier at $7.99 per month. Some households canceled rather than pay the higher price, while others downgraded to the ad tier. The price increase was one of the main reasons cited by people who left the service during that period.
In the same timeframe, Disney Plus began enforcing its password-sharing policy more strictly. The service had always prohibited sharing passwords outside a household, but enforcement was light until 2023. When Disney started blocking shared accounts and charging extra for password sharing, some households that had been using a single account across multiple homes canceled rather than pay for additional accounts.
Competition also intensified. By 2023, households had many streaming options—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Paramount Plus, and others—and many people were rotating subscriptions rather than keeping all of them active year-round. Disney Plus had to compete for attention and budget alongside these services.
How Disney Measures and Reports Subscriber Changes
Disney reports subscriber numbers to investors every three months in its earnings reports. The company discloses the total number of Disney Plus subscribers at the end of each quarter and the net change from the previous quarter. This net number is what appears in news headlines—for example, "Disney Plus lost 1.3 million subscribers"—but it does not tell the full story of who left and who joined.
If Disney Plus gained 5 million new subscribers and lost 6 million in a quarter, the reported number would be a loss of 1 million. The company does not separate these figures in its public reports. Investors and analysts use these net numbers to assess whether the service is growing or shrinking, but they do not show the actual churn rate—the percentage of existing subscribers who canceled.
Disney also reports revenue per user and average revenue per member (ARPM), which can shift even if subscriber numbers stay flat. When the company introduced the ad-supported tier, some subscribers downgraded from the higher-priced ad-free plan, which reduced revenue even though the subscriber count remained the same.
What Third-Party Research Shows About Cancellations
Companies like Antenna, which analyzes credit card and bank transaction data, and Churn Pro, which surveys households, publish estimates of streaming cancellations. These firms do not have access to Disney's internal data, so their numbers are educated guesses based on samples. Antenna's data suggested that Disney Plus had a monthly churn rate around 2 to 3 percent in 2021 and 2022, meaning roughly 2 to 3 percent of subscribers canceled each month. In 2023, after the price increase and password-sharing enforcement, estimates climbed higher.
The challenge with third-party estimates is that they depend on methodology. A firm that counts a paused subscription as a cancellation will report higher numbers than one that counts only permanent deletions. A firm that surveys only a subset of households may miss regional differences. These estimates are useful for spotting trends—whether cancellations are rising or falling—but should not be treated as precise counts.
Surveys of households also show that price is the most commonly cited reason for cancellation, followed by lack of content and the desire to rotate subscriptions. Fewer people cite password-sharing restrictions as the primary reason, though it may be a secondary factor for some households.
The Difference Between Cancellation and Churn
In the streaming industry, churn refers to the percentage of subscribers who cancel in a given period, usually a month. A service with 100 million subscribers and a 2 percent monthly churn rate loses 2 million subscribers per month, though it may gain new ones at the same time. Churn is a standard metric that streaming companies track internally but do not always disclose publicly.
Disney Plus does not report its churn rate. The company reports only net subscriber change, which is the difference between new sign-ups and cancellations. A service can have high churn but still grow if new sign-ups exceed cancellations. Conversely, a service can have low churn but shrink if cancellations exceed new sign-ups. Without knowing both the churn rate and the new sign-up rate, it is impossible to know how many people actually canceled.
How Seasonal Changes Affect Cancellation Numbers
Streaming cancellations follow seasonal patterns. More people cancel in January and February after the holiday season, when they reassess their subscriptions and budgets. Cancellations also spike after major price increases or policy changes, as we saw with Disney Plus in late 2022. Conversely, cancellations often drop in November and December when households are in spending mode and new content releases drive engagement.
Disney Plus releases major content at different times of year—Marvel shows in the fall and winter, Star Wars content in the fall—which can affect cancellation rates. Months with strong new releases typically see lower churn because subscribers are more engaged. Months with fewer releases see higher churn as people pause or cancel to save money.
This seasonal variation means that a single month's cancellation number does not tell you much. Analysts look at trends across quarters and years to understand whether the service is becoming more or less sticky—that is, whether subscribers are more or less likely to stay.
What Happened to Disney Plus Subscribers After 2023
After losing subscribers in late 2022 and early 2023, Disney Plus began adding subscribers again in the second quarter of 2023. The company attributed this turnaround partly to the introduction of the ad-supported tier, which attracted price-sensitive households, and partly to new content releases. By the end of 2023, Disney Plus had more subscribers than it did at the start of the year, though growth remained slower than in the service's first two years.
The company also bundled Disney Plus with Hulu and ESPN Plus, offering discounts for subscribing to multiple services. This bundle strategy may have reduced the number of people who canceled Disney Plus alone, since they were more likely to keep it as part of a package. However, bundling also makes it harder to measure Disney Plus cancellations specifically, since a household might cancel Disney Plus but keep Hulu.
As of the most recent earnings reports, Disney Plus continues to add subscribers, though the growth rate remains modest compared to the service's early years. The company has shifted focus from rapid subscriber growth to profitability, which means it is less concerned with the absolute number of cancellations and more focused on revenue and profit margins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Disney Plus publish how many people canceled?
No. Disney reports only the net change in subscribers each quarter—the difference between new sign-ups and cancellations. The company does not disclose how many people actually canceled or the churn rate. Third-party research firms estimate these numbers based on surveys and transaction data, but these are educated guesses, not official figures.
Why did Disney Plus lose subscribers in 2022 and 2023?
The main reasons were a price increase in December 2022 and the enforcement of password-sharing restrictions in 2023. Some households canceled rather than pay more or pay extra for shared accounts. Competition from other streaming services and the shift toward rotating subscriptions also played a role.
What is a typical churn rate for streaming services?
Churn rates vary widely depending on the service and the time period. Netflix has reported monthly churn rates around 2 to 3 percent in recent years. Disney Plus churn estimates have ranged from 2 to 3 percent in earlier years to higher rates after the 2022 price increase, though exact figures are not publicly available.
Is Disney Plus still losing subscribers?
No. After losing subscribers in late 2022 and early 2023, Disney Plus began adding subscribers again in mid-2023 and has continued to grow, though at a slower rate than in its first two years. The company is now focused on profitability rather than rapid growth.
How do research firms estimate Disney Plus cancellations?
Firms like Antenna analyze credit card and bank transaction data to track subscription charges and cancellations. Others conduct surveys asking households about their streaming subscriptions. These methods provide estimates based on samples, not complete data, so they can vary and should be treated as trends rather than precise counts.