Disney Plus (Streaming Service)

[Sotiris]

It's official. Disney is buying the remaining stake in Hulu for at least $8.61 billion.

The Walt Disney Company to Purchase Remaining Stake in Hulu from Comcast
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-hulu/

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

YES!

Get ready for more legacy and original adult content on US Disney+, assuming they plan to merge the two services together.

[Kyle]

And more price hikes, yay

[Sotiris]

Disney+ Tops 150 Million Subscribers, Streaming Loss Narrows to $387 Million
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disney ... 235784850/

Disney+, Hulu Integration Set to Begin in December
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 235641656/

Disney Expects to Slash Content Spending to $25B in 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 235641858/

Disney Won’t “Chase Bucks” By Licensing ‘Star Wars,’ Marvel & Pixar Content To Netflix, But Is In Talks Over Other Titles
https://deadline.com/2023/11/disney-sta ... 235597449/

[DisneyJedi]

I've heard some rumors that Disney+ would "die" or be nixed or whatever. Can anybody comment on that?

The rumors come from some YouTubers, by the way. I'd like to think their clickbait or something, but given the funk Disney is going through and some of the subscribers lost...

[PatrickvD]

YouTubers don’t know anything. Disney+ won’t die lol. I’ve noticed YouTube is full of self proclaimed media experts that post hysterical videos with clickbait titles, but these people are just wannabe influencers with zero inside knowledge of the industry.

Slowly but surely, ad-supported tiers of the platform will roll out across the globe which are going to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in ad revenue. Eventually the platform will become profitable. We’re just in a transitional phase between linear and non linear content consumption.

Just be ready for more ads everywhere you look.

[DisneyJedi]

Honestly, if I wanted ads with the movies and shows I watch, I’d just watch them on broadcast TV and/or cable.

[Sotiris]

Trio of 2022 Disney+ Original Holiday Specials No Longer Available to Stream
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney- ... streaming/

[bruno_wbt]

Trio of 2022 Disney+ Original Holiday Specials No Longer Available to Stream
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney- ... streaming/

I don't get it...

What's the point of removing their original stuff?

[Patricier21]

Also, is anyone else having problems getting onto Disney+? On my Sony Bravia TV, click the app and it just loads and won’t show up? Another connected issue?

[PatchofBlue]

Pixar’s ‘Soul,’ ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Luca’ Coming to Theaters After Disney+ Debuts During Pandemic
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixa ... 235822031/

Wouldn't it be the most poetic thing if these movies somehow like broke the box office on their release and reversed the freefall Disney has been in all year?

I'm definitely going to try to catch Turning Red in theaters. I may even be up for seeing Soul just so I can catch those visuals on the big screen.

[Vlad]

I saw both Turning Red and Luca in theaters when they debuted, as Disney+ was not yet available in Romania. They made released them in theaters directly. I have seen Soul on Blu-ray only, but I would like to see it on the big screen.

[Sotiris]

Hulu on Disney+ Beta Launch: What You Need to Know
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/hulu-o ... ta-launch/

Disney+ Considers Adding Gaming and Shopping Experiences for Advertisers
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disney ... 235825822/

[Sotiris]

Disney+ Shares January 31 Premiere Date And Key Art For Original Docuseries “Choir”
https://press.disneyplus.com/news/disne ... nd-key-art

[PatchofBlue]

Disney+ Will Only Thrive If It Starts Capitalizing on Its Most Important Brand
https://www.cbr.com/disney-plus-capital ... l-content/

Strangely, upon reflecting on all of these points, the thing that Disney+ is missing is original Disney content. Back in the day, the Disney Channel brought in new fans with shows like Lilo & Stitch and House of Mouse, which played with an extended Disney lore. Although there is original Disney Channel programming and Disney Jr. shows still on Disney+, the ambition just isn't there. Disney should perhaps consider returning to 2D animation with larger projects, taking into account the success of series like Phineas and Ferb or films like The Princess and the Frog. This appreciation for classic animation styles would connect the Disney brand back to its roots and encourage those who are longing for a return to the old ways. A new slate of 2D animated projects could certainly help, but the key is utilizing Disney's IP in inventive ways that progress the characters that audiences already love.


Shows based on Moana, Princess and the Frog, and Monsters Inc. are still in development, with Monsters At Work, Zootopia+ and Sporky Asks A Question showing how Disney could elevate the streaming platform. There has to be more focus on actual Disney properties, and with PIXAR's potential Win or Lose showing that original programming from the animation houses is on the cards, there are so many more directions for the studios to go in. When logging into Disney+, fans of the brand aren't getting what they signed up for. There is a lot of content, but very few projects try to emulate the movies that audiences grew up watching and loving.

This certainly captures my wishes and frustrations for how Disney is handling its streaming service. Though, I will be the first to own up to a powerful bias that I can't say for certain would carry to other potential subscribers.

I'd also say that some of the Disney spin-offs they mentioned that are already on the service aren't exactly masterpieces. I think I got halfway through the first season of Monsters at Work, a show I was excited for, and then it just kind of disappeared from my mind, and Sporky Asks a Question was just appalling. There is just a general quality control issue that needs to be addressed, whatever brand we're talking about.

This all to say, it would make me very happy if the Moana and Tiana shows ended up being the salvation of the service.

[Sotiris]

‘The Mandalorian’ Tops List of the Most-Watched Streaming Originals in 2023
https://www.thewrap.com/most-watched-st ... hows-2023/

[Sotiris]

Most streamed movies of 2023 according to Nielsen. Disney has 6 entries out of 10.

Top 10 Streaming Movies 2023

01. Moana
02. Encanto
03. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
04. Elemental
05. Minions: The Rise of Gru
06. Sing 2
07. Frozen
08. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
09. Avatar: The Way of Water
10. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Source: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nielse ... 235890306/

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

Moana being #1 is good for the sequel series when that premieres on Disney+.

[Jules]

I think it's kind of amazing that 2016 Moana beats out 2023 behemoth The Super Mario Bros. Movie on streaming. The movie seems to be a lot more popular than its initial box office run seems to suggest.

Also, Disney clearly still has an audience. Audiences just aren't into the new stuff for now.

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

They seemed to really like Pixar’s Elemental, though.