Disney+ is set to launch on November 12th, and it’s going to be a very big deal. The new streaming service will be filled with exclusive Disney content, and its $6.99 price tag makes it an attractive alternative to Netflix.
Of course, there’s more to it than just that. Disney+ is arriving at a time when there doesn’t seem to be enough room for another streaming service. So how is it going to innovate? What kind of original content can we expect to see on Disney+, and is there anything unsavory about the service that we haven’t heard about yet?
Disney+ Has a Slim, Exclusive Library
The Disney+ library will be filled with somewhere between 400-500 movies and about 7,000 TV episodes. Compared to Netflix’s library of 1,500+ TV shows and 4,000+ films, that’s not a lot. But Disney+ makes up for its slim library by offering a metric ton of exclusive content.
You can expect most of that content to be from Disney’s back catalog (and from the catalog of its other properties, like Pixar, FX, Marvel, and Lucasfilms). With Disney+, you’ll have access to all of Disney’s animated classics (even if they’re in the “vault“), all of the Pixar films, all of the Star Wars films, most of the Marvel films, The Simpsons, and various other programs.
But there will also be a handful of made-for-Disney+ shows and movies. Get ready for a Star Wars: The Clone Wars reboot, two live-action Star Wars shows, and a few Marvel shows (Falcon and Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye). You can view the full list of Disney+ originals on Wikipedia.
Wait a minute, Disney owns FX and (most of ) Hulu, will those companies’ exclusive shows end up on Disney+? The answer is no, mostly because Disney wants its new streaming platform to be family-friendly. Rumor has it that most of FX’s programming will end up on Hulu and that Hulu will be Disney’s destination for its “adult” properties.
It’s Cheap, Real Cheap
Remember how Netflix used to be super cheap? Well, those days are long gone, but Disney+ will surely take Netflix’s place as the cheapest way to mindlessly stare at your TV.
As a stand-alone service, Disney+ will cost just $6.99 a month. You can even subscribe to Disney+ through your Hulu account (as an add-on) for the same $6.99 price, assuming you want to keep all your shows and movies in one place. (This option may be exclusive to Hulu + Live TV subscribers—Disney hasn’t clarified yet).
But you can also pay for Disney+ as a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu. This bundle costs a mere $12.99 a month, which happens to be the same price as the Standard Netflix streaming plan. Before you get too excited, we’re talking about the version of Hulu that includes ads. And at this time, Disney hasn’t announced a package with ad-free Hulu, either. Yeah, bummer.
No, Disney+ Wont Have Ads
