Pixar's Soul finally made its debut on Christmas Day, releasing simultaneously in theaters in several international markets and on the Disney+ streaming service in the U.S. and other areas where theaters have no opened back up. According to Bloomberg, the CG-animated film brought in about $7.6 million from its theatrical release in international markets, including China.
Perhaps more exciting for Disney (and its investors) is that the film helped boost global installations of the Disney+ app. According to market-research firm Sensor Tower, there were about 2.3 million global installations of the Disney+ streaming app over the Christmas holiday. That represents a 28 percent increase from the prior weekend.
Given the odd times that we're in, which have been brought on by the global pandemic, Pixar's Soul has got to be considered a success for Disney. A somewhat respectable international debut coupled with a boost to Disney+ downloads is about as good as you could hope for given the circumstances.
In October, Disney reorganized its business strategy, shifting its focus to streaming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision appears to have paid off as Disney+ has amassed 86.8 million subscribers as of December, just a year after its debut in November 2019. It's now estimated that Disney+ will have 230 million to 260 million by 2024.
Soul is the second blockbuster Disney film to release on the streaming service, but unlike Mulan, there was no premium charge attached. Mulan, which was the guinea pig, charged subscribers an extra $30 on top of their monthly subscription fee. Soul is completely free to watch as long as you are a Disney+ subscriber.
With the global pandemic still wreaking havoc globally, it's unclear when theaters will resume operations normally. Disney still has numerous tentpole films waiting in the wings, including Marvel's Black Widow. For as focused as the company is on streaming, it doesn't appear it's all-in on releasing its biggest films on Disney+.