Disney+ is one of the most popular streaming services available today, with over 120 million users worldwide, and its launch piqued the interest of investors who hoped to see the stock rise.
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And while Disney has had its ups and downs over the past five years, the launch of Disney+ has not had quite the impact investors would have hoped for stock prices.
Disney+ Growth
Disney+ was launched on Nov. 12, 2019, with much fanfare. Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “The launch of Disney+ is a historic moment for our company that marks a new era of innovation and creativity.”
Disney+ launched with nearly 500 films and over 7,500 episodes of television in the app. Huge blockbuster movies, like films from Star Wars, Marvel and Disney Animation Studios, were all available for the first time in one place.
Disney+ was originally only $6.99 per month — or just $69.99 for an annual subscription. Prices have since risen, with bundles also available for Disney+ and Hulu, as well as ESPN. An ad-supported version of Disney+ was launched in 2022 to lower the price point for monthly customers, as well.
As of Q4 2024, Disney has reported 174 million active paid subscribers of Disney+ and Hulu, with 122 million of those Disney+ subscribers.
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Disney Stock Performance (2019 to 2025)
On Nov. 12, 2019 — the day Disney+ launched — shares of Disney (DIS) opened for trading at $138.03. The stock rose to a share price of $148.72 by the following day — a bump of 9.2% in just a few days’ time.
But Disney stock consists of more than just the Disney+ streaming service performance, and the theme park shutdowns and filming delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 hurt Disney stock. The share price fell to a low of $81.09 on March 23, 2020, and began an ascent as Disney quickly pivoted to push more users to its streaming platform.
But since 2021, when Disney stock prices peaked at around $200 per share, the price has dropped — Disney stock prices as of January 2025 are hovering around $110 per share.
This means that while Disney has seen exceptional growth in users in the streaming market segment, other issues have plagued Disney as a whole — and the stock is down by over 20% since Disney+ launched in 2019.
If You’d Invested $1,000 in Disney Stock When Disney+ Launched
Due to a wide variety of challenges at Disney, stock prices are actually down over the last five years. If you had invested $1,000 on Nov. 12, 2019, ahead of the Disney+ launch, you’d only have $795.19.
This means you would have lost $204.81 over the last five years invested in Disney stock.
While this isn’t great news, it doesn’t mean that Disney is a terrible long-term stock to hold. The company will have to tackle challenges in profitability around theme parks and other assets. But with so much valuable intellectual property to work with, Disney has the potential to turn things around.
As always, investing in individual stocks comes with the risk of loss. And past performance of any individual stock does not indicate future expected results.
If you choose to invest in Disney stock — or any stock — it’s a good idea to have an investment strategy in place, including understanding your goals, risk tolerance and tax strategy. It may be a good idea to consult with a licensed financial advisor or tax professional before choosing any specific investments.
Editor’s note: Disney stock prices were sourced from TradingView.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: If You’d Invested in Disney Ahead of the Disney+ Launch, Here’s How Much It’d Be Worth Now
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
