Page 24 - aruba-today-20190413

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 13 april 2019
Disney unveils new streaming service to debut late this year

By MAE ANDERSON and MI-
CHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Disney raised the curtain
on a hotly anticipated vid-
eo steaming service that’s
aiming to topple industry
pioneer Netflix, once a
valuable ally of the Magic
Kingdom.
The service, called Disney
Plus, has been in the works
for more than year, but
Thursday marked the first
time that the longtime en-
tertainment powerhouse
has laid out plans for its at-
tack on Netflix and a formi-
dable cast of competitors,
including Amazon, HBO Go
and Showtime Anytime.
Disney Plus will roll out in the
U.S. on November 12 at a
price of $6.99 per month, or
$69.99 per year. That’s well
below the $13 monthly fee
Netflix charges for its most
popular streaming plan,
signaling Disney’s determi-
nation to woo subscribers
as it vies to become a ma- In this Aug. 8, 2017, file photo, The Walt Disney Co. logo appears on a screen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. On
Thursday, April 11, Disney is unveiling details of its long-awaited streaming service Disney Plus.
jor player in a field that has Associated Press
turned “binge watching” Disney. Disney is approach- “Aladdin;” and “Star Wars will also get valuable data expects Disney Plus to be
into a common ritual. ing the streaming industry Episode IX.” on customers and their en- profitable during its 2024
Like Netflix, Disney Plus will from a “position of strength, In many ways, it’s hard to tertainment-viewing habits, fiscal year. The plunge into
be free of ads. Subscribers confidence and unbridled compare Netflix with Disney which it can then use to sell video streaming is likely to
will be able to download all optimism,” CEO Bob Iger because of the widely dif- advertising. confront Disney with new
of the shows and movies on said Thursday. Iger has led ferent types of shows each The Fox deal also gave Dis- challenges. One of the big-
Disney’s service to watch the company since 2005 offers, said eMarketer ana- ney a controlling stake in gest dilemmas will center
offline. and expects to step down lyst Paul Verna. Hulu. Iger has said Hulu will on how long Disney waits
Netflix will still have a far when his contract ends in “The interesting thing is continue to offer general after a new film’s theatri-
deeper video program- 2021. The service’s entire both companies have end- entertainment program- cal release to make it avail-
ming lineup after spend- lineup will cover five cat- ed up in the same place, ming while Disney Plus will able on its new streaming
ing tens of billions of dollars egories: Disney, Pixar, Mar- but they’ve come to it be focused on family fare. service.
during the past six years vel, Star Wars and National from vastly different back- Along with its strong brand, Disney said movies would
on original shows such as Geographic. grounds,” he said. Disney has the advantage become available on its
“House of Cards,” ‘’Strang- Although Disney has an en- Disney will also contend of having a clear strategy streaming service only af-
er Things” and “The Crown.” viable track record of pro- with a new streaming ser- for each of its streaming ser- ter the traditional theatrical
But Disney Plus will be able ducing shows and films that vice from Apple, which is vices, Verna said, including release period and home
to draw upon a library of attract huge audiences, expected to be released in Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN movie debut, which in-
revered films dating back its attempt to build its own the fall. Apple has not yet Plus. Disney executives cludes DVDs and purchas-
several decades while it Netflix is risky. To make the said how much its service hinted the company would ing streaming videos. That
also forges into original pro- leap, Disney ended a lucra- will cost or when exactly it “likely” bundle the three at puts its schedule behind
gramming. Its animated tive licensing relationship will launch. a discounted price, but de- that of some competitors.
classics, including “Alad- with Netflix, which had be- Last month, Disney com- clined to give more details. Netflix films such as the
din” and “The Jungle Book” come the video streaming pleted its biggest deal yet Terminating its deal with award-winning “Roma”
will be available on the ser- home for its latest films after with its $71 billion acquisi- Netflix will cost Disney and “The Ballad of Buster
vice when it launches. their theatrical release, as tion of Fox’s entertainment about $150 million in licens- Scruggs” have either be-
New shows already on tap well as many of its TV series business. The first 30 seasons ing revenue alone during its come available for stream-
include “The Mandalorian,” and classic movies. of “The Simpsons” will now current fiscal year ending in ing on the same day or just
the first live action “Star But now movies that came stream exclusively on Dis- September. a few days after their short
Wars” series, created by out in 2019, and going for- ney Plus. Disney is betting its new ser- runs in theaters.
Jon Favreau; a prequel to ward, will be streamed The Fox takeover helps Dis- vice will quickly offset that. With nearly 140 million
the “Star Wars” film “Rogue only on Disney Plus. That ney tighten its control over By dangling a mix of famil- worldwide subscribers, Net-
One,” starring Diego Luna; includes “Captain Marvel,” TV shows and movies from iar franchises and beloved flix already has proven its
a series about the Mar- which came out earlier start to finish — from creat- animated classics, along mettle while warding off
vel character Loki, starring this year; “Avengers: End- ing the programs to distrib- with original programming, one competitive threat af-
Tom Hiddleston; a reboot- game,” which debuts in uting them though televi- it figures the new service ter another in the 12 years
ed “High School Musical” late April; and the upcom- sion channels, movie the- will be irresistible to families, since it pivoted from DVD-
series; and a new docu- ing “Toy Story 4,” live-action aters, streaming services even if they already sub- by-mail rentals to video
mentary series focused on movies “The Lion King” and and other avenues. Disney scribe to other services. It streaming.q