Disney+ takes Google's 2019 US 'Year in Search' crown, iPhone 11 gets honorable mention
It only took Disney+ 24 hours to rack up 10 million subscribers, as well as two weeks to exceed 15 million mobile app installations, but perhaps the greatest early achievement of the video streaming service is one revealed by Google today that technically doesn't reflect how many people are actually using the platform.
Of course, you can't have buzz without curiosity and said curiosity often translates into big bucks generated by the most sought-after tech products and services out there. Believe it or not, Disney Plus was 2019's most-searched term on Google in the US, beating out Cameron Boyce, Nipsey Hussle, and Hurricane Dorian, which made the list for far more tragic reasons.
This incredible feat is that much more impressive when taking the November 12 Disney+ launch date into consideration, although in all fairness, the name of Walt Disney's big Netflix rival was formally unveiled all the way back in November 2018 and the platform made plenty of headlines in the months leading up to its commercial debut. Unsurprisingly, Disney Plus was not among the year's ten most-Googled terms around the world, most likely due to the fact the streaming service is exclusively available in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands for the time being.
Then again, the top ten Canadian and Dutch lists don't include Disney Plus either, although the platform was the seventh most-searched term in the "What is...?" section of the US recap. Google's latest "Year in Search" roundup also has the iPhone 11 ranked ninth overall stateside, as well as fifth worldwide. No other mobile devices or families of smartphones were able to earn any prizes this year, not unlike last year, when even Apple's then-newest iPhones were snubbed from the US and global top ten lists.
This apparent surge in popularity may have less to do with the actual box-office success of the iPhone 11 lineup and more to do with Apple's wise shift in branding from confusing letters to a number anyone can understand and easily remember. Still, trumping Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgame, and Joker globally, as well as Jussie Smollett in the US is no small feat.
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