10 Million Sign Up For Disney Streaming Service

Walt Disney's new streaming television service Disney+ got off to a roaring start by signing up 10 million subscribers on its first day, the company announced on Wednesday.

Disney said in a statement it has seen "extraordinary consumer demand" and "has already reached a major milestone, achieving a remarkable 10 million sign-ups since launching."

The news comes despite a launch marred by glitches that prevented many customers accessing titles from Mickey Mouse cartoons to Star Wars.

Disney+ marks a huge bet by the media-entertainment giant, pitching it into direct conflict with on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime which have disrupted the Hollywood media landscape.

It went live on Tuesday across the US, Canada and Netherlands, featuring thousands of movies and TV episodes from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and National Geographic.

Disney chief Bob Iger called the launch "a historic moment for our company that marks a new era of innovation and creativity."

Daniel Ives at Wedbush Securities described the 10 million subscriptions as "jaw dropping" and "considerably higher than we and many on the Street were anticipating."(AFP)