How does Disney+ compare to other streaming services
Choosing a streaming service used to be simple. A decade ago you had two big names: Netflix and Hulu. However, there are now so many options available it can be hard to decide which one is best for your household. With Disney launching its own version into the market in April, we’ve taken a closer look to see exactly how it compares to the current providers and if it can compete with industry leaders.
Disney recently announced plans to launch its own streaming service, Disney+, which will be introduced in the US in November 2019. As you might expect, the service will bundle together some of the firm’s major franchises, including big names such as Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and National Geographic, as well as access to its older “Disney Classics” collection.
Content
Despite entering a crowded streaming services market, Disney has the obvious advantage of being a household name. We already know therefore, that just by putting its older movies and series on the platform, the content on the service will be recognizable. However, in terms of quantity, Disney+ falls short of both Netflix and Hulu. According to a recent study, Disney+’s television show totals only amount to 16% of what Netflix offers and Netflix’s movie library is eight times bigger than Disney+’s launch lineup. Nonetheless, there is plenty of exclusive original content in the works to counter this, including a series based on the Marvel franchise Hawkeye and a six-episode Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series.
Disney also face the challenge of getting the rights back to some of its content given that it made previous deals with other streaming services, for example with its five live-action Marvel series. This means it will have to wait for these deals to expire before it can put them on Disney+.
Finally, the recent acquisition of Fox content will also bolster Disney+. With exclusive access to classic Fox shows such as The Simpsons, Disney+ subscribers will get more from the service than just Disney content alone. It is also rumored that Disney+ will be available as an add-on for Hulu subscribers which is another strong selling-point for the company.
Price
Disney has decided to price its offering at $6.99 for a monthly subscription, or $69.99 for a yearly one – laying down a huge challenge to its competitors. However, given that it doesn’t have the same quantity of movies and shows when compared with Netflix or Hulu this could explain the strategy. Once Disney creates shows specifically for the platform it is expected that the initial price of a subscription may rise quickly, which may be something to keep in mind.
Security
As Disney+ will be marketed as a family friendly service, parental controls will be crucial. Disney+ will have profile-based parental controls to allow parents to create age restricted profiles helping them to keep children out of some of the service’s more mature content. In addition, any movies or TV series that push the boundaries of Disney’s typical PG-13 audience, like Marvel’s Deadpool, will reportedly be diverted to Hulu instead.
Data
According to Disney, the streaming system is built to withstand 10 million concurrent viewers and will allow its customers unlimited downloads of all content. Since Disney+’s video content will rapidly eat through mobile data, being able to download your child’s favorite shows and films for offline viewing on trips or daily errands is a big selling point. It is also an important differentiator as both Netflix and Hulu have restrictions on downloading content on mobile devices.
We hope this helps you to decide if Disney+ is the right streaming service for you. If you have any other questions about the service, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
