Disney expects to lose $150 million from terminating licensing deals with Netflix this year.
Disney is ending its agreement with Netflix in order to start its own D2C streaming service Disney+, filled with the company’s library of movies and original programmes. The platform will feature content from Star Wars, Marvel and Disney’s classic films as well as titles from its pending $71.3 billion acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox.
According to CEO Bob Iger during a recent investors call, the D2C platforms from the company “remains our number one priority.”
Apart from the planned Disney+ service, Disney also operates ESPN+ sports service and is a shareholder in Hulu.
At the start, Disney+ will stream more than 5,000 hours of Disney-owned original films and TV shows, roughly 7,000 episodes of television and 500 movies, including a substantial backlog of Disney theatrical animated feature films, including many of the classics, along with live-action films and Pixar movies.
After the Fox acquisition closes, Disney will also own 60% of the D2C service Hulu. Disney plans to acquire the remaining 40% from Comcast and Warnermedia. The platform will also be rolled out internationally.
