Apple TV+, Disney+ see massive subscriber gains as Netflix struggles

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Apple Tv Plus On Xfinity
Apple Tv Plus On Xfinity (Image credit: Comcast)

What you need to know

  • Apple TV+ and Disney+ grew significantly in UK subscribers in the first quarter of 2022.
  • Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Now TV also saw growth but not to the same extent.
  • 68% of UK homes now have at least one streaming service.

Apple TV+ and Disney+ were the big winners in terms of new UK-based subscribers during the first quarter of 2022, according to a new report. And while Netflix did see its numbers grow, that growth pales in comparison to what the relative newcomers achieved.

According to a survey from BARB, the country's television audience measurement outfit reported on by Variety, Apple TV+ saw an increase in subscribers of 27%, jumping to 1.57 million from 1.24 million.

Disney+ saw a similar boom, increasing from 5.49 million subscribers to 6.53 million — numbers that represent a 19% improvement over the previous quarter.

There were smaller gains for other streaming outfits, including Netflix, with Amazon Prime Video and Now TV also involved.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Sky's Now TV saw smaller quarterly gains with 17.29 million homes having access to Netflix in Q1 2022, up 3% from 16.79 million the previous quarter; 13.35 million homes having access to Amazon Prime Video, a growth of 6% from 12.57 million in Q4 2021; and 2.13 million homes with Now TV, an increase of 4% from 2.06 million the previous quarter.

The number of UK households that use streaming services reached 19.57 million, meaning more than 68% of UK homes now watch streaming content. 46.3%, or 13.2 million homes, have two more streamers to choose from, the report notes.

In terms of Apple TV+, the constantly growing slate of TV shows, movies, documentaries, and docuseries makes it some of the best value available at just £4.99 per month. That's a bargain alongside Netflix's ever-increasing prices, although it's a subscription service that many pay for almost by default to ensure they can watch content like Stranger Things and Better Call Saul.

If you want to enjoy Apple TV+ and other streaming services in style, be sure to check out our list of the best Apple TV deals on the market today.

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Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.