The Marvel Cinematic Universe's small screen branch is thriving on Disney+.
When Disney+ launched back in 2019, it presented the opportunity for Marvel Studios to showcase new content on the streaming service. While the pandemic forced the studio to delay its small screen launch, 2021 delivered a plethora of MCU projects, namely WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and most recently, Hawkeye.
It's safe to assume that the MCU is crucial to Disney+'s continued dominance on the small screen. Back in March 2021, the streamer officially passed 100 million subscribers, outpacing industry projections of 50 million members by 2022.
It's worth pointing out that this achievement was during the same timeframe as WandaVision's stretch run leading up to its explosive finale. The upward trend of subscribers continued with the arrival of the aforementioned MCU shows, and this was accompanied by data showing high anticipation for these projects.
Now, new data has arrived that shows a deeper look at how the MCU shows affect Disney+'s subscriber count.
Disney+ Data and MCU Shows (A Breakdown)
Whip Media, via Variety, shared new data on how Hawkeye attracts meaningful viewership on Disney+ and its effect on the streaming service's subscribers.
The research group first conducted a survey of US TV Time app users aged 13+ on November 19 and 20, 2021. The result showed that 66% of the respondents will "definitely" watch the Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld-led series, while 10% said that they won't see it.
Based on previous data, the study concluded that the aforementioned result points to a successful run for Hawkeye.
The MCU series' upward trajectory on the House of Mouse's streaming platform is apparent since the survey also showed that most of the respondents ended up finishing the series under Marvel's banner. WandaVision tops the list with 72.4%, with Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in second (66.7%) and third (64.7%) places respectively.
Whip Media deduced that the three aforementioned shows likely helped Disney+ to gain more subscribers after the impressive run for The Mandalorian back in December 2020.
Perhaps most notably, the study also unveiled that the MCU's small screen slate is at least a "major reason" why 63.5% of respondents subscribe to Disney+.
Despite the data above, a good chunk (39.5%) of Whip Media's respondents also acknowledged the fact that they subscribe to Disney+ not just for Marvel Studios' content, but for other Disney-related projects as well.
MCU's Major Role on Disney+
It's no secret that the MCU's popularity is sky-high, and this latest study hammers the point home.
New data suggests that Disney+ subscribers are dedicated to finishing the MCU series due to the franchise's interconnected nature. This is as such due to the fact that hardcore fans are aware of the connecting storylines that will eventually branch out not just to other shows, but also to the movie side of things.
Meanwhile, the confirmation that these shows feature actors from the core MCU movies should be more than enough reason for casual viewers to tune in, thus leading to the streamer's upward trend in subscriber count.
In a way, it makes the small screen viewing of MCU content a must in order to be acquainted with Easter eggs and callbacks presented in the movies.
Of course, this is on top of the fact that Disney+ is home to every MCU entry from the Infinity Saga and beyond, thus serving as a one-stop-shop for Marvel content.
Still, as data suggest, Marvel Studios is just part of the bigger picture of Disney+. The MCU shows may take up a good chunk of the reason why subscribers tune in on Disney+, but the influx of new content from Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney themselves contributes to the success of the House of Mouse's streaming service.
At this stage, it's reasonable to assume that Disney+'s trend will continue to be upwards in the coming years.
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