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.

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.