Disney streaming service will go live at the end of 2019

Disney plans to launch its own streaming service live sometime at the end of 2019. That is what the CEO of the company tells investors. It is not yet known whether the service will be available worldwide. In the US, Disney is considering bundling the service with Hulu and ESPN.

Speaking at a conference call on quarterly earnings, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is on track to launch the service by the end of next year. It may initially only be a US release.

Iger emphasizes once again that the service will be cheaper than Netflix, because there will be less content on it. In addition to Disney movies and series, the service will include Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar movies. A Star Wars series of ten episodes is also being worked on with a budget of 100 million dollars. That series will be shown exclusively on the new video platform. Ultimately, National Geographic will also contribute to content for the streaming service, Iger says.

The Disney CEO indicates that the company is considering giving customers access to the new Disney service, Netflix competitor Hulu and ESPN+, the streaming service of the sports channel of the same name in exchange for a discount. The company does want to keep the services separate, so that customers can choose what they purchase. Hulu is mainly aimed at adults and the Disney service should be suitable for the whole family. Disney owns sports channel ESPN and is in the process of acquiring 21th Century Fox. If that acquisition is completed, Disney will own 60 percent of Hulu.

With the announcement of its new streaming service last year, Disney indicated that it would remove its films and series from Netflix in 2019. Initially, this will be done in the United States. Perhaps the same will happen in the Benelux at a later time, when the Disney service comes out here.