Disney+ bets big in 2026: Can it win over Netflix subscribers?

With 12 million fewer subscribers than market leader Netflix, Disney+ is betting its survival in Korea on a star-studded 2026 lineup to prove that K-content fans will switch platforms if the storytelling is powerful enough. Disney+ is leaning into its long-term strategy of producing top-tier Korean originals, aiming to close the gap with Netflix as the latest industry data shows Korean content remains a key driver for subscriber growth. In 2025, Netflix effectively solidified its dominant status, with its monthly active users in Korea soaring to 15.59 million as of December, according to market researcher Mobile Index. Disney+ remains the smallest among the major streaming services, with 3.22 million subscribers — only a slight increase from 2.93 million in December 2024. During the same period, other competitors saw far stronger growth. Korean platform Coupang Play jumped from 7.09 million to 8.43 million subscribers, while Tving edged up from 7.25 million to 7.34 million, leaving Disney+ on the sidelines in the heated competition. For Disney+, the problem isn’t creating hits like "Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times