Disney Plus has lost millions of subscribers, but the exact number shifts with each earnings report

Disney does not publish a single, fixed figure for how many people have unsubscribed from Disney Plus since it launched in November 2019. The company reports subscriber counts quarterly to investors, and those numbers go up and down depending on new releases, price increases, password-sharing policy changes, and competition from other streaming services. Between late 2022 and late 2023, Disney Plus lost roughly 10 to 12 million subscribers across multiple quarters, but the service has also gained subscribers in other periods. The number you see depends on which quarter's earnings report you read and when you read it.

When people talk about Disney Plus "losing subscribers," they are usually referring to net subscriber change—the difference between new sign-ups and cancellations in a single quarter. A loss of 2 million subscribers in one quarter does not mean the service is permanently shrinking; it means more people left than joined during those three months. Disney's subscriber base has fluctuated significantly since 2022, and understanding what drove those changes helps explain why streaming services gain and lose users.

Key Takeaways

  • Disney reports subscriber numbers quarterly to investors, not as a single lifetime total, so "how many unsubscribed" depends on which quarter you are looking at.
  • The service lost subscribers most sharply in 2022 and 2023 after raising prices and cracking down on password sharing across multiple households.
  • Disney Plus has also gained subscribers in other quarters, particularly after releasing major films or shows, so the trend is not one-way.
  • The company bundles Disney Plus with Hulu and ESPN Plus, so some people who "unsubscribed" from Disney Plus alone may have kept the bundle.

When Disney Plus lost the most subscribers

The largest subscriber losses happened in the quarters following Disney's price increases and password-sharing enforcement. In the fourth quarter of 2022 (October through December), Disney Plus lost 2.4 million subscribers. In the first quarter of 2023 (January through March), it lost another 4 million. These losses came after the company raised the price of ad-free Disney Plus from $10.99 to $13.99 per month in December 2022 and introduced a new ad-supported tier at $7.99 per month. At the same time, Disney began enforcing its terms of service against people sharing passwords outside their household.

The losses slowed after mid-2023. In the second quarter of 2023 (April through June), Disney Plus added 2.3 million subscribers, and in the third quarter it added another 1.4 million. These gains followed the release of high-profile shows like The Mandalorian: Season 3 and Ahsoka. The pattern shows that subscriber numbers respond to both pricing decisions and content releases. When Disney released new Star Wars or Marvel content, people returned or stayed; when prices rose without major releases to justify them, people left.

Why people unsubscribed

The main reasons people left Disney Plus were the price increase and the password-sharing crackdown. Before December 2022, a single Disney Plus subscription cost $10.99 per month for ad-free viewing. After the increase, that same tier jumped to $13.99—a 27 percent increase. At the same time, Disney introduced a cheaper ad-supported option at $7.99, which attracted some users but not enough to offset the losses from people who cancelled rather than pay more. For households on tight budgets, the price jump made Disney Plus less affordable than competing services.

The password-sharing policy change affected households that had shared one account across multiple homes. Disney's terms of service had always prohibited this, but the company did not enforce it until late 2022. When enforcement began, people who had been using a shared family account in different cities or states had to either buy their own subscription or stop using the service. This policy change alone drove a significant portion of the Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 losses. Some households that had shared one $10.99 account suddenly faced the choice of paying $13.99 each or cancelling.

Competition also played a role. By 2023, Disney Plus was no longer the only streaming option with Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar content. Netflix had added ad-supported tiers and cracked down on password sharing first, setting a template that Disney followed. Some subscribers chose to rotate between services rather than maintain multiple subscriptions year-round, cancelling Disney Plus in months when no new Marvel or Star Wars content was scheduled.

How Disney counts unsubscribers

Disney reports net subscriber change each quarter, not total unsubscriptions. Net change means the number of new subscribers minus the number who left. So when Disney says Disney Plus "lost 2.4 million subscribers" in Q4 2022, that means 2.4 million more people left than joined during that three-month period. It does not mean only 2.4 million people cancelled; the actual number of cancellations was higher, but it was offset partially by new sign-ups. In a quarter with heavy marketing or a major release, the actual cancellations might be 5 million, but if 7.4 million new people signed up, Disney would report a gain of 2.4 million.

Disney also bundles Disney Plus with Hulu and ESPN Plus. When someone cancels Disney Plus alone but keeps the bundle, Disney counts that as a Disney Plus unsubscription even though the person is still paying Disney for streaming content. This means the "unsubscriber" numbers are not a perfect measure of how many people stopped using Disney services entirely. A person who downgrades from Disney Plus standalone to the Disney Bundle appears in the unsubscriber count, even though they are still a paying customer.

Subscriber trends since the losses

After the sharp losses in early 2023, Disney Plus stabilized. The company added subscribers in the second half of 2023 and continued adding them into 2024. The stabilization came partly because most price-sensitive users had already left, and partly because new content releases brought people back. Disney also benefited from the 2023 Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes ending, which meant more new shows and films were in production and could be released in 2024. The pipeline of content that had been delayed by the strikes began flowing to the service.

Disney has not returned to the subscriber growth rates it saw in 2020 and 2021, when the service was new and people were signing up in large numbers. Instead, the service has entered a mature phase where subscriber numbers fluctuate based on content releases, pricing, and competition. This is normal for streaming services that have been operating for several years. Growth slows as the service reaches most of the people who want it, and the focus shifts to keeping existing subscribers rather than adding new ones.

What the numbers mean for you as a subscriber

If you are deciding whether to keep your Disney Plus subscription, the unsubscriber numbers tell you that many people have found the service not worth the price, especially after the 2022 increase. However, they also show that millions of people still use it, particularly when new Marvel or Star Wars content releases. Your decision should depend on whether you watch enough Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, or National Geographic content to justify the monthly cost, not on what other people have chosen to do. Some households find the service essential; others find it worth keeping only during months with new releases they want to watch.

If you share your password with people outside your household, Disney's enforcement of its terms of service means you may eventually be asked to add them as a separate account or stop sharing. The company has rolled out this enforcement gradually, so not all regions or account types have been affected equally. You can check your account settings to see whether Disney has flagged any unusual sign-in locations or is asking you to verify household members.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Disney Plus still losing subscribers?

Not consistently. Disney Plus lost subscribers in late 2022 and early 2023 after price increases and password-sharing enforcement, but it has added subscribers in most quarters since mid-2023. The trend depends on which quarter you look at and what content has recently released.

How many people subscribe to Disney Plus now?

Disney reports this number quarterly in its earnings reports, and it changes each quarter. As of the most recent report, Disney Plus has over 150 million subscribers globally, but you should check Disney's latest investor earnings release for the current figure, as it updates every three months.

Will Disney Plus raise prices again?

Disney has not announced another price increase, but the company has raised prices multiple times since launch. Whether it will do so again depends on Disney's business strategy and competition, which are not predictable. You can monitor Disney's quarterly earnings reports and official announcements for any price changes.

Can I get a refund if I unsubscribe?

Disney Plus charges month-to-month, so you are not charged in advance. If you cancel, you keep access through the end of the current billing period and are not charged again. There is no refund for partial months.

What happens to my watchlist if I unsubscribe and come back later?

If you unsubscribe and later resubscribe with the same account, your watchlist and viewing history remain saved. If you create a new account, that information will not carry over.