Can you believe that NBC Universal's Peacock streaming service is launching soon, and all we can talk about is Quibi's failure and Disney+ cashing in on Hamilton?
It's true, Peacock is launching on July 15 and there hasn't been any real push in terms of advertising. Compared to the rollout on TV and social media for Disney+ launching the filmed version of Broadway musical sensation Hamilton on July 3, it's clear that The Walt Disney Company ($DIS) wanted to flex their muscles on the streaming competition.
One single piece of content, while very hotly anticipated and hyped for the last five years, was able to increase Disney+ downloads by 72% in the US over the holiday weekend (46% worldwide). For millions unable to go to New York and pay thousands for tickets, this is the first real chance to see the show fully, with the original cast, and the $75 million Disney paid for the film was a bargain when looking at the ROI.
Disney pulled the 7-day free trial option before Hamilton went up, knowing people would have used it just to watch and then bounce from the service. This hasn't led to any real backlash since the cost of Disney+ is so cheap relative to the other services (Hulu, Netflix, etc.). Disney+ continues to see increases to their social media account followings and Facebook 'Talking About' count (not shown here, get our demo for full access to that data).
Disney+ has racked up a healthy amount of reviews submitted on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store since its launch late last year, and is maintaining a 4.4/5 on average on both platforms. Netflix might not have a real rival right now, but if you combine Disney+ with HBO Max and Amazon Prime and Hulu and Peacock, the market share could become more divided sooner than Reed Hastings thinks.
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