Audience insight: Disney+ subscribers and the Beatles

The Beatles’ new film “Get Back” is coming to Disney+ over the Thanksgiving holidays this year. Directed by Peter Jackson, the three-part documentary will feature exclusive footage shot in January 1969 and will likely resonate well with Disney+ subscribers given their affinity to the timeless band, according to YouGov research.

Data from YouGov Profiles, an advanced audience intelligence tool, shows customers of Disney+ in the US are more likely to be fans of the Beatles than the overall population (78% vs. 74% of US adults; a significant statistical difference). This is true of British customers of the popular streaming service as well, with 82% giving a positive rating to the Beatles (vs. 70% of British adults).

When we look at TV viewing behaviors among Beatles fans in the US, however, there’s little difference in their likelihood to subscribe to Disney+ when compared with the overall US population (23% of Beatles fans are Disney+ customers vs. 22% of US adults). Instead, Beatles fans over index in their likelihood to be customers of another popular streaming platform Peacock (11% of Beatles fans are customers vs. 8% of US adults) as well as Tubi (8% vs. 6%) and Spectrum (15% vs. 12%).

On the other hand, fans of the Beatles in Great Britain are significantly more likely to be customers of Disney+ (20% vs. 16% of British adults). Data from YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks consumer perceptions of brands, shows the Beatles fans can also be found watching TV on services or networks such BBC iPlayer (45% vs. 34%), ITV Hub (24% vs. 17%), Sky Sports (22% vs. 15%) and All 4 (24% vs. 14%).

In the minds of Disney+ customers and the Beatles fans

In the US, Disney+ customers who like the Beatles are significantly more likely to be 35-44 years old (24% vs. 16% of US adults) and less likely to be young adults (6% are 18-24 years-old vs. 12% of US adults). This also explains why they’re likely to parents of young children, with more than a third saying they have a child younger than the age of 18 (35% vs. 28%).

To get a better map of these consumers’ lives beyond their demographics, we also looked at their attitudes toward media and advertising.

What this streaming audience cares about in media:

• Streaming is a game changer. Nearly nine in ten of Disney+ customers who are fans of the Beatles agree that streaming services changed TV watching for them (vs. 66% of US adults). Our data also reveals that this specific streaming audience tend to watch TV using multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix (81% are also customers of this platform), Amazon Prime Video (63%) and Hulu (58%). They also tend to be heavy listeners of music streaming platforms and podcasts.
• Family plans and group subscriptions are key. Three-quarters of this streaming audience say video and music streaming services should offer more group subscriptions (77% vs. 61% of Nat Rep.) What’s more, 59% of this group say they share their streaming credentials with close ones.

What they say about advertising:

• They believe brands should take a stance on social issues and are motivated to buy from brands that align with their views. One of the defining characteristics is Disney+ subscribers who like the Beatles is they favor brands who speak up on social issues (58% vs. 48% of US adults). Our analysis shows that if a brand expresses a view that aligns with this streaming audience, they say they’re more likely to endorse the brand (67%). This could be a powerful opportunity for brands who have a clear point of view and can strike an authentic tone with these consumers.
• OOH advertising has strong potential for activation. This group proves attentive to out-of-home ads and even say that posters and billboards are great ways to find about film releases and events (47% vs. 36% of US adults). Disney+ customers who are fans of the Beatles also use social media to comment on and engage in conversations about the things they see on billboards and posters.
  

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Methodology: The data is from YouGov Profiles and based on the interviews of 328 Disney+ current customers in the US and 119 Disney+ current customers in Great Britain. All interviews were conducted online among adults aged 18 and over between July 2020 – July 2021. Results are weighted to be nationally representative. Learn more about YouGov Profiles.