Mere months after its April launch, Disney+ has climbed the ranks to become the fifth most popular SVOD platform in France among six- to nine-year-olds, according to new research from The Insights People.

Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and France TV (ranked one through four, respectively) are still ahead of Disney+, but it’s gaining ground.

While the streamer’s success in France creates new opportunities for CP, the report says it could cause a fallout in the theatrical space, citing Disney’s plan to debut Pixar film Soul on Disney+ on December 25 as an example. Cinemas are struggling worldwide, and in France specifically, the country’s 6,000 theaters closed down for a second time in October after a spike in new COVID-19 cases. This followed an earlier closure in the summer months.

COVID-19 is predicted to cost the global movie industry US$5 billion in losses. At a time when ticket sales are more important than ever, Disney cutting theaters out of its distribution strategy and promoting home viewing of movies among families could have a long-term impact on getting audiences back to the big screen once the pandemic has passed, the report predicts.

Pixar films, in particular, are usually box-office toppers in France—Ratatouille remains the country’s highest-grossing movie of all time, according to aggregator JP’s Box Office.

On a positive note, kids often multitask while watching TV, with 30% of six- to nine-year-olds often playing with toys while tuned in. As films shift to a streaming-first strategy, this dynamic could create new demand for related merchandise, the report suggests.

The Insights People surveyed more than 5,000 kids in each of the following countries between July and September this year to generate data for its latest report: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK and the US.

Photo by Felix Mooneeram on Unsplash