Just days ago, Disney announced it would not be renewing its current contract with Netflix which expires in 2019, in order to launch its own VOD streaming service. Within the last couple of years, Disney hits have popped up on Netflix roughly a month or so after their physical home video releases. These included hits like ‘Moana’, ‘Finding Dory’, ‘Zootopia’ and the live action ‘Jungle Book’ just to name a few.
But keep in mind that Marvel also owns ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel and those films also seem to have been included in the deal as newer releases like ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ and ‘Doctor Strange’ are readily available on Netflix.
This ruffled fans’ feathers as older fans worried that with the advent of Disney’s own service, they’d have to cough up for ANOTHER streaming service. This follows the decision by CBS to make their new show ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ available strictly through its pay service CBS All Access and Warner Brothers’ announcement of a DC Comics streaming service which will be the only access fans will have to ‘Young Justice’ Season Three and the new live action ‘Titans’.
Unfortunately, at this point, both companies are still in negotiations regarding Star Wars and Marvel, which appear to be separate from Disney proper. Obviously, Netflix would like to keep those popular brands, but it’s entirely possible that Disney may keep them for itself. A third option is that Disney could offer them to another service entirely… if the price is right, presumably.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos admitted:
“That’s why we got into the originals business five years ago, anticipating it may be not as easy a conversation with studios and networks” in order to secure and maintain rights to certain films and TV shows.
Sarandos also optimistically added that he thinks the Disney service will be “complementary” to Netflix which will retain tons of other family entertainment, including the Illumination films, like the ‘Despicable Me’/’Minions’ brand.
Disney’s streaming service will offer not only its extensive existing catalog– not just feature films, but made-for-TV movies and series– but its newer releases. It’s believed that the first huge film to help launch the service will be ‘Frozen 2’. Also coming that year are ‘Toy Story IV’ and the live action ‘Lion King’ which may star Beyoncé.
One thing fans can rest assured about is that apparently the deal between Marvel Entertainment and Netflix which resulted in ‘Daredevil’, ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’, ‘Iron Fist’, ‘The Punisher’ and ‘The Defenders’ is a separate package. Even when/if Disney jumps ship, those shows will remain with Netflix. (Those shows don’t exactly fit the Disney brand, anyway.)
Check back for more news and confirmations as we learn of them, but as for now, it looks like the Disney streaming service will consist entirely of mainstream Disney and Pixar fare, with the slightly older skewing stuff most likely staying at Netflix.
