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Streaming wars: Disney takes another step towards Netflix

Streaming wars: Disney takes another step towards Netflix

David Crowther

Advantage, Disney

The other good news for Disney was in its streaming biz. Disney took a solid step towards catching Netflix, announcing 12 million new subscribers to Disney+, almost double what analysts were expecting.

That update leaves Disney in a good spot to meet its 230-260m Disney+ subscriber goal by the end of 2024. It also means that once you account for Hulu and ESPN+ (both of which Disney owns), the company as a whole is over 196 million subscribers, not far off Netflix's 222m total.

Note: Amazon Prime Video has 200 million+ subscribers, but we've omitted it from this chart. Only 11% of people gave the streaming service as their primary reason for having Amazon Prime, the overwhelming majority (79%) are in it primarily for the one-day delivery.

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Max Knoblauch

Paramount+ wants to look a lot more like TikTok, leaked documents reveal

Larry Ellison’s Oracle just took a 15% stake in TikTok’s US arm. David Ellison’s Paramount streaming service could soon look a lot more like it.

According to leaked documents seen by Business Insider, Paramount+ is planning a big push into short-form, user-generated video in the vein of the addictive feeds of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Per Business Insider, the documents reveal that short-form videos are a top priority for the streamer in the first quarter of 2026, and executives are working on adding a personalize feed of clips to the mobile app.

The move would follow similar mobile-centric plans from Disney, which earlier this month announced that it would bring vertical video to Disney+ this year, and Netflix, which during its earnings call said it would revamp its mobile app toward vertical video feeds and expand its short-form video features.

Streamers are increasingly competing for user attention with popular apps. YouTube is regularly the most popular streaming service by time spent.

Paramount+ is planning a major move into short-form video, internal documents reveal

Paramount+ is planning a major move into short-form video, internal documents reveal

Per Business Insider, the documents reveal that short-form videos are a top priority for the streamer in the first quarter of 2026, and executives are working on adding a personalize feed of clips to the mobile app.

The move would follow similar mobile-centric plans from Disney, which earlier this month announced that it would bring vertical video to Disney+ this year, and Netflix, which during its earnings call said it would revamp its mobile app toward vertical video feeds and expand its short-form video features.

Streamers are increasingly competing for user attention with popular apps. YouTube is regularly the most popular streaming service by time spent.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday - Previews

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KFC ranked worst out of 76 restaurant chains per new market share analysis

The chicken wars are taking their toll, new Barclays analysis suggests, as competitors close in on the chain that once ruled the roost.

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