Disney’s highly anticipated streaming service, set to rival the likes of Netflix and Stan, has finally been given a name.
Disney Plus is set to launch in 2019, and thanks to an in-depth article by Variety we know a lot more about the upcoming service.
According to the publication, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger says the streaming service is going to cost less than Netflix, to reflect the lighter content load.
“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,” Iger says.
In his interview with Variety, Iger also touched on the content plan for the new service.
When Disney Plus launches, Disney theatrical releases will no longer be shared with other services such as Netflix. The publication notes that this move will cost Disney around $300 million in annual revenue it currently receives from Netflix for pay-TV rights to its content.
Instead, new Disney releases including live-action remakes of Lady and The Tramp, The Lion King, and Dumbo, and other upcoming projects including Captain Marvel, Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4, will all be streamed exclusively on Disney Play.
New Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar projects currently in the works are due to premiere on Disney Plus. However, the company won’t be pulling Marvel, Star Wars, or Disney content off competing platforms.
According to Variety, Iger calls the planned launch “the biggest priority of the company during calendar [year] 2019.”
We can’t wait for our first look at the new Disney Plus!
