Disney's streaming business has turned a profit for the first time, earning $47 million from its Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus platforms, according to the company's financial report for the third quarter of 2024.

Like other players in the streaming market, Disney has been striving to make this segment profitable. Last year, the Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu platforms posted a loss of $512 million. The situation began to improve last quarter when Disney Plus and Hulu became profitable, though ESPN Plus's losses prevented the entire streaming business from crossing into profitability.

"It was a strong quarter for Disney, driven by excellent results in our entertainment segment both at the box office and in direct-to-consumer sales — we achieved profitability for our combined streaming business for the first time and exceeded our previous forecast by a quarter," said Disney CEO Bob Iger.

During the reporting period, Disney Plus gained just under 1 million new subscribers in the US and Canada, bringing the total to 54.8 million. Hulu's subscriber count grew from 50.2 million to 51.1 million over the quarter.

Disney is showing relatively stable subscriber growth but continues to seek ways to monetize its existing user base further. Recently, the company announced price increases affecting Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus rates, a move it has made consistently in recent years. In the near future, Disney also plans to crack down on account sharing among multiple users.