Disney CEO's hot mic moment sheds light on key streaming numbers

We all have had a moment when we’ve said something aloud we weren’t supposed to say. However, those moments often aren’t as public as Bob Iger’s recent gaffe. The CEO accidentally revealed key Disney Plus numbers during a Q4 earnings call.

This morning, Iger headlined Disney’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call. While answering questions about the company’s growth outlook and pricing strategy of Disney Plus, the CEO let it slip how many of its subscribers are on the ad-supported tier.

According to Deadline, Iger revealed that 37% of its US members subscribe to the ad-supported tier, while 30% of its global members do the same. Iger stated:

It’s not just about raising pricing. It’s about moving consumers to the advertiser-supported side of the streaming platform. Right now, in the United States, about 60% of all new subs are buying our streaming services advertising-supported, or AVOD. Right now, I think it’s 37% of total subs in the U.S. are AVOD subs – 37% in the U.S. and 30% globally. So, the pricing that we recently put into place, which is increased pricing, was actually designed to move more people in the AVOD direction because we know that the ARPU [average revenue per user] – and the interest from advertisers in streaming – has grown.

This is a particularly interesting revelation as streamers tend to avoid offering this information, instead opting to give alternative data like the number of monthly active users.

After Iger finished speaking, he got caught in a hot mic moment. As CFO Hugh Johnston moved in to take the next question, Iger could be heard saying “I don’t know if I was supposed to disclose those AVOD numbers.”

Disney Plus’ ad-supported tier rolled out in December 2022. Iger has previously mentioned the company’s desire to push more of its audience toward its ad-supported tier.