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Disney to pull movies from Netflix, launch new streaming services.

Disney will launch a streaming service of its own in 2019, and an ESPN sports service next year.

Disney will be pulling its movies from Netflix and will launch its own streaming service in 2019.

It will follow an ESPN streaming service to launch with US sports early next year.

Hollywood Reporter notes Disney will acquire a majority of BAMTech, the streaming technology company owned by MLBAM, the internet company owned by Major League Baseball. Disney already owned a stake in BAMTech but will pay $US1.58 billion for an additional 42 percent.

CEO Bob Iger indicated that if a movie is Pixar or Disney-branded, it will probably appear exclusively on the new service — including shows and movies made specifically for the service.

It could mean that the upcoming Frozen 2 would be available for streaming exclusively on Disney’s new service while Star Wars: Episode IX presumably would not, though they are both set for release in 2019.

Decisions on Star Wars and Marvel movies are yet to be made, but the decision to not renew with Netflix is ‘a done deal.’

5 Responses

  1. Netflix doesn’t pay that much more movies or repeat rights to TV series, their business model is based around using that to develop their own shows that they keep exclusive rights to for 70 years and become globally dominant there. Disney thinks they can do better alone as Netflix destroys other distribution systems.

    Streaming every game live to fans is supposed to be were the billions are and Disney thinks that MLB will be pot of gold. They already stream ESPN and probably want to use MLBAM’s platform for that too. Optus isn’t doing that well with The Premier League though, getting enough additional subscribers to maybe break even on the deal.

  2. I get that Disney want a piece of the market for streaming, but there are enough streaming services at it is, and there is only so much subscribers can afford. They should work with existing services and price their content based on existing subscriber numbers and expected future growth.

  3. It could be that Disney have finished wooing Netflix with an aim to eventually make a takeover bid as some on line media rumours have suggested, instead they will fast track their own Disney streaming which eventually, using it’s Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other franchises owned by them will depreciate Netflix’s main viewer attractions, especially in the U.S.. Of course Netflix could try to merge with Apple or even Amazon to keep Disney in check, then the competition game with streaming could start getting messy with rising subscription pricing which could turn off a lot of current viewers away.

    1. Amazon’s business is global retail logistics and cloud services. Prime is just a loyalty programme for subscribers to their retail system. Apples business is iPhones/Pads and the apps and iTunes products that people buy with them. Neither is going to do deals with Netflix, the 1000 pound gorilla that is the main threat to them.

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