Disney+ hit by technical glitches on launch day

Disney’s new online streaming service, Disney+, has been hit by technical issues on its first day.

There have been many reports on social media about problems accessing the service and some users have shared screenshots of error messages.

Disney+ offers a catalogue of Disney films along with exclusive content such as the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian.

Via Twitter, Disney said demand had “exceeded our highest expectations”.

Glitch-tracker Down Detector recorded nearly 8,300 complaints about Disney+ over a 15-minute period starting at 14:00 GMT (09:00 EST).

Disney+ is not yet offered worldwide, but is being rolled out to the US, Canada and the Netherlands first.

Disney said it was “working quickly” to resolve issues with the service.

The platform will compete with other major film and TV streaming services – including Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Disney has estimated it will need to attract at least 60 million subscribers, putting it on a par with Netflix, in order for Disney+ to break even.