Disney Plus: A New All-in-One Entertainment Destination

Disney+ is an upcoming streaming service owned by the Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International Division of The Walt Disney Company. The service will be filled with content from Disney's main entertainment studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, and includes some films from 20th Century Fox. 

In 2019, Disney also owns 21st Century Fox and Hulu. Bob Iger, CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, stated, “Disney+ will be focused specifically on family-oriented entertainment (not carrying any R-rated or TV-MA rated content), and Hulu will remain oriented towards general entertainment. Hulu will also host Disney+ as an add-on service.”

It is reported that Disney+ will have approximately 7,000 television episodes and 500 films. New releases from 20th Century Fox will not be available on either Disney+ or Hulu, until Fox’s existing output deal with HBO ends in late 2022. Captain Marvel will be the first theater released Disney film to stream exclusively on Disney+. Iger also said that “Disney+ will eventually host the entire Disney film library, including Classic Disney Films currently in the Disney Vault.” This service will also hold exclusive streaming rights to The Simpsons, with all thirty seasons of the series available immediately upon launch.

Several original series’ based on Marvel and Star Wars characters are being produced. These include eight new Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-offs involving the characters of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Hawkeye, Loki, Scarlet Witch and Vision, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and a What If animated series. 

The Star Wars original series’ includes The Mandalorian, which takes place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Additionally there is set to be multiple Star Wars spin-off series’, including one based on Cassian Andor from Rogue One, also a seventh season of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and an untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi series with Ewan McGregor reprising his role from the prequel trilogy. 

Disney+ will launch in the United States on November 12, 2019. The service will be released worldwide over the next two years, first focusing on Western Europe and Asia-Pacific countries by late 2019, and then Eastern Europe and Latin America during 2020. The timing of these international releases depends on the expiration date of existing streaming rights deals for Disney content with Netflix and other streaming and television companies.

Disney+ will cost $6.99 per month and offer 4 simultaneous streams, 4K Ultra HD in Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. It will also offer a streaming bundle that combines Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for $12.99 per month.

Disney+ will be offering, from day one, entire collections such as Disney Vault Features, The Simpsons episodes, Marvel and Star Wars. According to a recent UBS survey, 43% of Americans say they are “extremely likely” to subscribe to Disney+. 

Disney+ is open for preorders now.