• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, November 18, 2020

Combined paid worldwide subscribers for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and HBO Max will grow from a current 419 million to nearly 678 million by 2025, projects Digital TV Research.

Disney+ subscriptions are projected to grow by 112 million, or 58%, to reach a global total of 194 million.

That would make Disney+ the No. 2 SVOD in size, bumping current second-ranked platform Amazon Prime Video down to third place.

The researcher projects that Amazon subscribers will increase by 50 million, or 25%, to reach 167 million.

Netflix will hold onto its No. 1 ranking, adding 73 million subscribers (up 36%), to reach 274,000 worldwide.

HBO Max is projected to gain 12 million, or 76%, taking it from a current 16 million to nearly 29 million.

Apple TV+, now at an estimated 2 billion subscribers, is projected to add 11 million, to reach 13 billion. 

The report projects that Netflix’s revenue will reach $37 billion, up from $17 billion in 2019.

Disney+, which is just turning a year old, should reach revenue of $13 billion by 2025. While that represents impressive growth, it lags Netflix’s revenue growth because Disney charges lower prices in developing markets, resulting in lower ARPUs, according to Digital TV Research.

“Much of Disney+’s initial growth came from the U.S., mainly due to the attractive bundle of Disney+ with ESPN+ and Hulu,” noted the firm’s principal analyst, Simon Murray. “More recently, India’s Disney+ Hotstar subs count has rocketed due to its coverage of IPL cricket. The U.S. and India will account for nearly half of Disney+’s subscriber base by 2025.”