![Walt Disney Studios logo Walt Disney Studios logo - Disney Play](https://i0.wp.com/www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2015/10/walt-disney-studios-logo-530x298.jpg?resize=530%2C298&ssl=1)
If you are looking for Disney content on streaming services, you are most likely going to find it either on Hulu or Netflix. At least right now. But that will all change come 2019, when the mega studio will launch its own streaming service that will have not only its back catalog of films, but also new and original content like live-action versions of Lady and The Tramp and a new Star Wars television show.
The upcoming service has been unnamed for almost two years since it was announced in 2017. But now, we can refer to it as Disney Play. And for those who are wondering about pricing, there is also some very good news. According to a new report, it will be cheaper than Netflix. More on the story here below.
Variety was the first to post the news. While the service itself is very ambitious and exciting, there are risks at play. For instance, “Disney will say goodbye to about $300 million in annual revenue it currently gets from Netflix for pay-TV rights to its theatrical releases, starting with its 2019 movie slate.” Some of these movies include the new The Lion King, Frozen 2, Captain Marvel, Dumbo, and Toy Story 4. There is also the matter of meeting stock expectations set by Wall Street.
The studio hopes that the exclusivity factor of their content will drive interest to their service. In addition to the aforementioned movies, the service will be a library to older content and deliver fresh and new ones as well. And because there is such a limited number of films and TV shows subscribers will have access to, the price for the service will range from $8 to $14. “We have the luxury of programming this product with programs from those brands or derived from those brands, which obviously creates a demand and gives us the ability to not necessarily be in the volume game, but to be in the quality game,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said. Experts 40 million subscribers paying $6 a month could help Disney break even on the service.
Though there may be a limited amount of content, because of its exclusivity, Disney is not in a rush to release as much content as Netflix. Nor are they interested in releasing content at the pace of Netflix. “We’re going to walk before we run as it relates to volume of content,” as Iger, according to Variety.
Additionally, Disney will not be pulling from any Fox-related content from any current deals with streaming services as it will be “logistically difficult and extremely costly.”
Still, it’s not like there won’t be enough content to keep subscribers busy. And with a $8 to $14 per month price tag, any Disney fan or any one who has cut the cord will have a hard time to resist adding another subscription service to their bill.
[Source: Variety]
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