Report: Disney+ Has 40M+ Subs

According to a new report by research firm Sensor Tower, Disney+ has pulled in over 41 million subscribers, or roughly 25% of Netflix's total audience, reports USAToday.

Netflix, the streaming leader, started offering streams in a big way in 2013 with the first original, made-for-streaming TV show, "House of Cards."

Sensor Tower says Disney, which charges $6.99 monthly to subscribe, has already generated $97.2 million since launch.

However, Disney has a long way to go to recoup its investment. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is spending $24 billion to ramp up programming, compared with $10 billion for Netflix, $8.6 billion for Amazon Prime and $1 billion for Apple.

Part of the programming budget went to new hits like the "Star Wars" spinoff "The Mandalorian", remakes of "Lady and the Tramp" and "Lizzie McGuire," and most of the Disney, Pixar and Marvel film libraries.

Disney announced that some 10 million people signed up during the initial launch, but hasn't updated the number.

Two weeks before Disney's launch was the launch of Apple's TV+, which is offered free when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, iPod or Macintosh computer. Apple hasn't released subscriber numbers.

Disney and Apple kicked off the "streaming wars" of 2019, which picks back up in the spring with three new entrants: HBO Max, Peacock and Quibi.

Peacock, from NBC Universal, and Quibi, from former Dreamworks and Disney studio exec Jeffrey Katzenberg, both launch in April, while HBO Max is slated for May.