The Walt Disney Company has officially announced that its own streaming service, Disney+ will launch this fall on November 12th, with subscriptions costing just $6.99.
Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger says about the Disney+ launch:
“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. We are confident that the combination of our unrivaled storytelling, beloved brands, iconic franchises, and cutting-edge technology will make Disney+ a standout in the marketplace, and deliver significant value for consumers and shareholders alike."
If you're wondering if that's got Netflix shaking in its boots, the answer is...yeah, kind of. According to Variety, the news of Disney heading into streaming sent its shares soaring up over 10% this morning, while Netflix's stock fell more than 3%.
And it makes sense. Despite the fact that Netflix helped pioneer the movie streaming industry, curate some excellent films and TV shows, and have been extremely successful in producing its own original content, Disney+ will open up an "unparalleled" catalog of Disney favorites, including all 30 seasons of The Simpsons (on Day 1), of which the company has always been relatively protective since streaming platforms became a thing.
Family-friendly titles from Fox will also be made available, like The Sound of Music, The Princess Bride, and Malcolm in the Middle, as well as more than 7,500 TV episodes and 500 films.
But Disney isn't only poised to bring the company's popular brands, like Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic to stream; it's also prepared to release original titles as well, including:
- The Mandalorian
- The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
- WandaVision
- Marvel’s What If…?,
- Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2
- Forky Asks a Question
- Lamp Life
- The World According to Jeff Goldblum
- Magic of the Animal Kingdom
- The Phineas and Ferb Movie
Even if you're not a huge Disney fan, you surely know someone who is...probably your kids, or your weird aunt who has matching Mickey and Minnie Mouse tattoos with your equally weird uncle. If you are a fan, then come November, you'll be granted access to the Disney vault in a way that you never have before. And I don't know about you, but I'll be binging on the first 10 seasons of The Simpsons.
Source: Disney+
