We’ve been talking about Disney’s upcoming streaming service for a few years now, but we finally have some concrete information on what to expect. At the April 2019 Investor’s Day, Disney executives like CEO Bob Iger gave us the answers we’d been waiting for.
Iger talked about how much the Disney+ streaming service would cost, and also what kind of content it’ll have, telling his audience "Disney+ marks a bold step forward in an exciting new era for our company-one in which consumers will have a direct connection to the incredible array of creative content that is The Walt Disney Company’s hallmark."
Bang For Your Buck
Iger announced that the official launch date in the U.S. for Disney+ is November 12, 2019, with a North American launch set for the first quarter of 2020. Disney has not mentioned any specific dates for when the service will be available worldwide.
The service will cost $6.99 USD/month or $69.99 USD/year, which works out to about $5.85 USD/month if you choose the yearly subscription. In comparison to other streaming services like Netflix ($12.99 USD/month) or HBO ($14.99 USD/month), it seems to be a good value for the amount of content being offered.
Opening The Vault
Disney’s CEO confirmed in March of 2019 that Disney+ will include “the entire Disney motion picture library” including all movies from the Disney Vault. Disney has films dating back to the 1920s that throughout the years they have rotated through their ‘vault,’ meaning only a handful of films were available to own at any given time, for limited periods of time.
With this streaming service, Disney is basically eliminating the concept of the Vault, which is a major step for the company. This means everything from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Frozen 2 will be available at the same time.
What You Can Watch Right Away
Disney has said that on its launch date there will be 7500 episodes of current and off-air TV shows (including all 30 seasons of The Simpsons), 400 library movies, 100 recent theatrical films, 10 original films, and 25 original series.
Original content is going to be a major focus of this streaming service. The company is reportedly planning to spend $1 billion on creating original content in 2020 alone. One project that will be released on Disney+ is a Star Wars-adjacent live-action series called The Mandalorian, which takes place in the years after Return of the Jedi.
What Happens To Content On Other Streaming Services?
In late 2017, Disney announced they’d be removing its Marvel and Star Wars content from Netflix in anticipation of its streaming service at a penalty of an estimated $150 million. With Disney acquiring Fox, critics are guessing they’ll also remove that content.
Disney’s current deal with Netflix included all films released in theatres from 2016 to 2018. However, all films from 2019 and beyond will be exclusively released on Disney+. Disney has yet to release any sort of statement regarding taking all their content off of other streaming platforms, so it’s still unclear how much Disney+ will affect your Netflix subscription.
Is It Too Good To Be True?
Now that the subscription price and launch date have been released to the public, the internet is buzzing. The response has been relatively positive, with many people online citing their excitement to have a streaming service they feel doesn’t require as much parental supervision due to its almost entirely kid-friendly content.
The biggest point of discussion is skepticism regarding the 'too good to be true' price. Many seem to think it’s not possible for Disney to offer such an affordable service and expect the price to skyrocket within a few months.
