Karl Holmes, head of Disney+ in EMEA, highlighted the 80 percent growth in advertising revenue in the UK and what he called a “leading” young audience share among streamers in the country.
Speaking at the live Enders TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) conference in London on Thursday, the Disney+ EMEA managing director confirmed that in the UK, “our adult audience is definitely younger – more so than any other streaming platform.” Citing in-home viewing data from BARB in the UK, he said that “nearly 40 percent of viewing hours on the Disney+ platform are from 16 to 34 years old. This is higher than the equivalent on Netflix, Prime, Paramount+, Apple TV, or even YouTube.”
The chart showed included Disney+ at 39%, Netflix at 32%, Prime at 27%, Paramount+ at 23%, and Apple TV at 20%.
“The youth audience is one we know and understand well and has an incredibly strong connection to the franchises and content at the heart of Disney+,” the executive emphasized.
Touting “strong growth in customer numbers, engagement and advertising,” Holmes also told the conference: “Today, we are in significant growth mode, across the board: our customer base in EMEA is growing rapidly, up more than 25 percent since the start of 2025. Over the same period, these customers are choosing to watch more, with more than 10 percent growth in average viewing per retail subscriber.”
The ad tier, which launched in the UK in late 2023, has also been a driver of growth. “Our advertising business is accelerating significantly, with revenues in the UK alone up 80 percent year-on-year,” Holmes said.
Since November 2023, Disney+ has launched ad-supported tiers in 15 European countries. “More than 1,000 brands have joined us on the journey so far,” the CEO said. “The hype surrounding our offering creates some fantastic opportunities to collaborate with brands. For example, we have teamed up with Waitrose to launch a range of food inspired by Competitors And the eighties. You can treat yourself to a bag of Diane’s crispy steak, rhubarb and custard ice cream, or maybe later in the day a little spicy pineapple!
On the whole, things are moving in the right direction. “It’s been six years since Disney+ debuted in Europe, and I’m thrilled with the direction and pace we’re setting – thanks to the creativity and hard work of our teams across the region,” the CEO concluded.
He also addressed how he plans to “continue to drive growth in such a competitive market,” outlining three priorities.
“First and foremost, it’s about providing the best content to customers,” Holmes said. “Powerful stories between generations that form deep emotional connections. That’s what Disney is all about.”
That starts with movies. “No other streaming service comes close to the strength and depth of our movie content,” the executive said, noting that for nine of the past 10 years, Disney has been the No. 1 studio at the EMEA box office — “and our movies come to Disney+ right after theaters.” Among the new releases coming to Disney+ this year are the likes of Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ashes, Toy Story 5, The Mandalorian and Groguand The devil wears prada 2Holmes used this fact to highlight “the importance of releasing our films in cinemas – because success at the box office has an impact that extends far beyond the cinema window.”
The increase in domestic original fare to complement Disney+’s global successes has been one of the main points of focus lately. “We are working to increase the number of local originals starting now,” Holmes said Thursday. “At the end of last year, Angela Jain joined us as Head of Disney+ Content for EMEA, and is driving a significant increase in local native advertising across Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Turkey, as well as the UK. Starting now, Disney+ customers will begin to see greater frequency of shows from their local market, both scripted and non-scripted.”
For example, he said: “When you finish the last episode of the current slide of competitors, Coming out tomorrow, Monday, we have a brand new original for you: the already award-winning one Alice and Stevefrom the makers Reindeer baby“.
The second strategy to continue the growth momentum is Disney’s focus on “a life full of great stories,” Holmes said. “I’m sure many of you will remember the first time you watched a movie produced by Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or… star wars In the cinema. Our position is unique, earned over a century of building our brands. We’re revitalizing our marketing to reinforce that connection and show that Disney+ means a life full of great stories.
He stressed that the third and final growth priority is “being the best partner in the industry”, including through content partnerships with broadcasters in an increasing number of markets, as well as strong relationships with distributors and advertisers.
“What we offer free-to-air partners is an opportunity to expand the scope of their content,” Holmes said. “They get to bring their stories to our young audience, while Disney+ customers get to discover some of the biggest local stories.” He added: “Every deal is different. We’re flexible, and work with broadcasters in ways that deliver results for both sides. As we learn what works best, our newest deals are bringing big shows to Disney+ right after they air for free. But one thing never changes — we’re making sure our streaming partners get strong brand attribution.”
Previous speakers at the Enders conference have included BBC managing editor Rhodri Talvan Davies and Sky chief executive Dana Strong.
