There’s a lot we can expect from the new streaming service that Disney is releasing in a few weeks on Nov. 12.
So far, audiences and Disney fans everywhere have heard that Disney+ is bringing the best of the best to their new platform including new shows and films such as The Mandalorian (A Star Wars live-action television series following a bounty hunter), a live-action version of Lady and the Tramp, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (yes that’s the actual name), and many more titles.
Disney+ will charge customers $6.99 each month or $69.99 for a year to watch hundreds of Disney titles that you might haven’t seen in a long time, or even ever. The price makes the service stand out the most since it’s so cheap, compared to Netflix’s $14.99 or Hulu’s $11.99 per month.
With all that competition, how will Disney make their streaming platform different than others?
Streaming services like Netflix have years of experience behind them and that helps them know their customers better and create a variety of movies or television shows. Meanwhile, Disney has never released something like this, so it may take a while for them to get comfortable in the industry.
They’re also only offering movies and shows based on the companies they own, so if you miss That’s So Raven and other shows like it, this service is for you!
But that can also be an issue for customers; are they willing to shell out another $6.99 a month to watch old reruns of Disney Channel shows, when a service like Netflix has timeless older shows along with new shows with big budgets?
While some may want to relive those old Disney shows and it might be more kid-friendly, Lizzie McGuire might be an afterthought for older audiences while they binge Stranger Things.
Plus, Netflix’s older shows hold up better. When it comes to watching an older show like Cheers or Friends on Netflix, anybody of any age can flip it on for a few episodes.
Meanwhile, it’s harder to watch old Disney shows like The Proud Family for an extended period. Sure, you can flick it on for a couple episodes to relive your youth, but it’s not binge-worthy like titles Netflix has licensing for.
Although Disney is putting a countless amount of their originals on the service, they’re still having trouble gaining licensing back for titles that can be found on other services such as Hulu.
There are two things though that Disney has that make them stand out: a huge fan base and animation. First, there are many Disney fans and their ages range from newborn to one hundred years old.
Considering Disney’s large following, assistant professor of digital media Amanda Stojanov, M.F.A., said it best: “Since Disney is a large and established company with successful content, it has the potential to be a devastating competitor for Netflix.”
Although Netflix may have a lot of success in the streaming industry, many of their users love their Disney content and may just switch to this cheaper option with what they are looking for.
Netflix may have a lot of success in the streaming industry, but many of their users who love the Disney content provided may just switch to this cheaper option for Disney-only content. However, if you want a free trial before you purchase, that is not available yet.
Disney is trying to get their fans to pre-order the service before getting the free trial so they have a larger audience to experience what they have created. Their competitors offer a free trial for a certain amount of days before you commit to the purchase.
Disney hasn’t officially announced if they will be adding this feature after their initial launch, but I think it will help get people to buy the service in the long run like their competitors.
You can have seven different profiles and four of them will be able to be streamed at the same time, which compared to Netflix can be good for a household. Netflix offers users five different profiles and you have to pay extra for more users to stream simultaneously.
We can expect an affordable service chock full of Disney and their partner’s content, and a satisfying setup that looks more polished than streaming competitors.
Stojanov concluded, “Disney is adapting to the technological shift in popular entertainment from cable television and theatrical releases to streaming services and binge-watching, popularized by Netflix.”
IMAGE TAKEN from Disney Clip Art
IMAGE TAKEN from technobuffalo.com
