Disney Raising Prices Days After Confirming Ads Will Now Show Up on Every Tier

Disney+ falls behind in the viewing charts

Nielsen, a company that measures what Americans watch, released its numbers for the first half of 2026. Stranger Things on Netflix was the most-watched streaming original. Disney+ had no original show in the top 20, even though it aired shows like Percy Jackson, Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man.

Key numbers

• Stranger Things (Netflix): 23.261 billion minutes watched
• The Pitt (HBO Max): 21.118 billion minutes watched
• Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+): 3.6 billion minutes across its seasons, the top Disney+ original
• Wonder Man (Disney+): 7 million season views
• Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (Disney+): 5.8 million season views

Minutes versus viewers

Minutes watched add up every minute of every episode. Season views count how many unique viewers started a season. Disney's best shows win on minutes, but fewer people finish or start them, so the total audience looks smaller.

Why this matters

Disney+ is a very large streaming service, so people expect its shows to draw big crowds. The numbers suggest its shows reach only dedicated fans. At the same time, Disney is raising prices and adding ads to every plan, so viewers are being asked to pay more for a service with fewer hit shows.

What to watch

• How much more Disney+ charges after the price increase
• Whether Disney+ original shows enter Nielsen's top 20 in the second half of 2026
• How the ads on every tier affect subscriber numbers