Disney+ in the News: It’s the Most Downloaded App!

Disney+ was one of the most exciting things to happen to the world of entertainment last year. And it probably seemed like everyone you knew had downloaded it and was busy watching everything from The Mandalorian to Mary Poppins.

When the app launched in mid-November in 2019 we were all immediately glued to our devices. In fact, on launch day many people reported having issues signing up and downloading the app due to traffic. We also tried to download it first thing in the morning but had to wait until much later to see what the Mando was up to.

And now research is bearing out that popularity. Sensor Tower reports that Disney+ was the most downloaded app in the fourth quarter of 2019 with over 30 million downloads. The next most downloaded app was TikTok with about half as many downloads.

It was downloaded over 12 million times from Google Play and over 18 million times from the Apple App Store. So not only was it the most downloaded overall, it was the most downloaded in both major app stores. That is a staggering realization that 30 million people were watching the app.

In comparison, the previous number one download on the Apple App Store was Youtube for the previous 12 months and no other app has passed the 10 million download mark on Google Play since Facebook Messenger launched in 2017. Disney+ had more downloads in just a month and a half than Hulu and Amazon Prime had in the whole of 2019.

With that many downloads Disney made out with a ton of additional revenue in the fourth quarter. They grossed more than $50 million in the first month and beat every other streaming service in that same period.  Do you think they keep it all in a giant Money Bin?

Other than the fantastic new content and the extensive collection of classic Disney films and shows, part of the reason Disney+ received so many initial downloads are the promotional deals they used. They partnered with Verizon to offer a free year when you switch to Verizon (Verizon essentially worked out a deal to make this happen for their customers). Hulu offered a bundle package with Disney+ and ESPN+. Google offered a few months free to Chromebook owners. Disney even offered a deal to D23 members who signed up for a three-year commitment.

As long as Disney keeps making new shows and adding their classic ones we are sure going to keep watching. While it’s hard to conceive of 30 million people walking around with Disney+ in their pocket, it’s also pretty hard to imagine that popularity slowing down any time soon.

Did you get Disney+? What is your favorite movie or show on Disney+? Let us know in the comments.