The UFC was lauded for its performance on ESPN+ as the quarterly Disney earnings were disclosed on Wednesday. There are 17.1 million ESPN+ subscribers according to Disney executives.
.@ESPN feels that @UFC is driving strong subscription sales to its ESPN+ OTT product, per sources, fulfilling its main aim of the deal.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 10, 2021
➖ Disney is reporting earnings today and is expected to note marked growth for @ESPNPlus, which had 14.9M subs as of the most recent update. pic.twitter.com/YP2b0lyxHX
In prepared remarks, Disney CEO Bob Chapek praised the performance of ESPN’s online digital platform and highlighted the UFC:
The 17.1 million subs is an increase from Q3 which reported 15 million subscribers. The average monthly revenue per subscriber for ESPN+ subs came in at $4.74.
Overall, Disney earnings missed Wall Street expectations as Disney+ saw a slowdown in subscribers. It expected to hit 119.6 million but mustered 118.1 million. Shares fell more than 3% in late trading on Wednesday. Its total revenues were $18.53 billion versus and expected $18.78 billion.
Payout Perspective:
Along with NHL on ESPN+, the UFC is one of the shining stars of the digital platform. With events on ESPN+ and consumers not concerned about having to pay a monthly subscription fee PLUS a PPV fee on top for its events, Disney has to be impressed with the brand throughout the pandemic.