According to the last fiscal report, Disney’s sports program, ESPN, lost over four million subscribers over the past 12 months with damages still increasing. The gradual decline of fans over the past years could be a sign of viewers’ shifting expectations for entertainment. As audiences adjust to the technological world, many platforms such as Disney have recognized the need to adapt to the demand for online entertainment.
In response to the demands of Disney fans, on Nov. 12, Disney launched their new streaming service, Disney Plus. The new platform provides advertisement free content from Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century Fox and more.
“[The service] is pretty awesome,” said junior Alena Penirian Maldonado. “They have movies that won’t be in theaters, so that’s kind of cool. You can literally watch any Disney movie.”
Disney Plus also offers new movies, such as “Frozen 2,” that are currently only available theaters.
“There’s two different prices. One is for the Marvel and Disney and everything included. But then there’s another one where you can have ESPN, [with] movies like The Sandlot,” Maldonado said.
In terms of pricing, Disney Plus falls in the middle in comparison to other streaming sites. With a monthly rate of $6.99, it is cheaper than services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but more costly than Apple TV.
“Now they’re getting money from a ton of people because [Disney Plus is] such a big thing, and a lot of people have it and I think they’re going to profit a lot,” said senior Caitlyn Khun.
By appealing to the world of digital entertainment, Disney hopes that their new streaming service will continue to receive attention. Since its launch, Disney Plus has already gained over 10 million subscribers, surpassing previous records held by HBO and CBS. Disney’s recent success can be largely attributed to their skillful transition to online streaming accessibility and the inclusion of other platforms.
“I think it’s a cool idea because I feel like everyone is streaming nowadays on their device, and so people don’t use blu-ray discs or DVDs anymore,” said senior Sabine Cismoski. “I think that putting everything on a streaming site makes it easier for people to access Disney content, and it’ll just broaden their audience.”
“I definitely think people aren’t going to be watching live television anymore”
With all the attention Disney is receiving with the launch of Disney Plus, many viewers are waiting to see what its competitors will do in response.
“I have Netflix so I noticed that they had Disney stuff on it. But now, all that stuff is on Disney Plus, so I just noticed that [Netflix has] added a lot of Nickelodeon stuff,” Khun said. “I feel like that’s a way of them competing because it is Nickelodeon versus Disney.”
The current status of Disney shows and movies on services such as Netflix remains unclear due to licensing complications. While it is expected that most Disney content on Netflix will be removed by the end of 2019, a clear end date is yet to be released, according to CNET.
“I don’t think that [Disney Plus] will necessarily take people away from Netflix because I feel like they’re two very different platforms at the end of the day,” Cismoski said. “So I think that both can coexist pretty nicely.”
In addition to Disney’s attempt to appeal to more viewers by providing quick access to shows and movies, it seems plausible that the future of entertainment will be completely online in the future.
“I know we cancelled our cable a month ago because we have Netflix and Disney Plus,” Khun said. “I definitely think people aren’t going to be watching live television anymore, because now we can just [watch shows] on our phones.”
In just a number of weeks, Disney has already gained two million subscribers and CNBC estimated the numbers will reach over 60 million by 2024. To many analysts, Disney’s decision to launch Disney Plus is primarily a money grab to aid in their domination of the film industry. As for the future, Disney will continue to look for ways to diversify their media because streaming services have become an essential part of modern entertainment.
