Disney
Bad news for Disney fans who subscribe to Netflix: starting in 2019, you’re going to have to sign up for another new service if you want to keep streaming your favorite Disney movies and television shows. The Walt Disney Company announced today it plans to launch their own digital streaming platform and their intention to end their current Netflix deal.
Disney signed its current new release deal with Netflix in 2012, but it didn’t go into effect until last year after Disney’s prior contract with Starz had ended.
Under the terms, Netflix is the exclusive streaming home to all theatrical releases from Disney and its subsidiaries, including Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm.
As a result, Netflix has had access to a number of recent high-profile releases, such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Finding Dory, and The Jungle Book.
The new Disney plan correlates with the company’s announcement that it will buy a majority stake in the company BAMTech, a streaming-video division founded by Major League Baseball.
Disney will use BAMTech’s technology to create new streaming services for both Disney and subsidiary ESPN.
The ESPN subscription service will provide access to over 10,000 live games from across the world when it launches in 2018.
The new Disney streaming platform will be “the exclusive home in the U.S. for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live action and animated movies from Disney and Pixar.”
In addition, the service will contain a library of content from Disney and Pixar, plus shows from Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD.
Much like Netflix’s original series and movies, Disney says they will “make a significant investment in an annual slate of original movies, TV shows, short-form content and other Disney-branded exclusives for the service.” When the platform launches in 2019, it will be home to Toy Story 4, Frozen 2, and the new live-action Lion King remake.
