Netflix vs Disney Plus
13 Jun 2019, 17:15
It's old news by now that Dinsey is launching their own streaming platform, Disney Plus. But how will it compare to Netflix, South Africa's most popular streaming service? Let's take a look at the differences.
What's Leaving Netflix
Disney owns 21st Century Fox, ABC, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, FX and so much more. Having recently acquired 21st Century for a staggering $71 Billion, Disney is looking strong.
If you go onto Netflix right now, you’ll probably find a few Disney-owned franchises available for streaming. But the move has definitely already begun. Disney is removing its movies from Netflix, moving them to Disney Plus as exclusives. This will be completed within the year.
Price Difference
Netflix is currently priced at $9 per month in the US, R99 for South Africans. It's reported that Disney Plus will cost $7 a month for the same basic package as offered by Netflix. There is no word on a South African price as of yet, as it's even reported South Africa is not part of the immediate roll-out for the streaming service that begins this November. But if these US comparisons are anything to go by, Disney Plus will come in cheaper per month.
This is extremely positive for Disney as it is also speculated that their movie and series offering will be massive. And all Disney movies released in 2019 will not release on Netflix at all. That includes big titles like Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Original Content
Original content by streaming platforms has grown to become an extremely important aspect of the service's success and popularity. You just have to look at Netflix's Originals like Narcos, Stranger Things and Black Mirror to see the effect these have on the service's success. Exclusives make you join their service because you want to enjoy it and that's the only place it can be enjoyed. Simple.
Knowing this, Disney says, " [their] service - in its first year - will include 25 original series, 10 original films and specials, 500 films and 7,500 episodes of current and past TV shows.” One original series coming to Disney Plus follows the story of the Avengers character, Hawkeye, played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Jeremy Renner.
Another original series, The Mandalorian, will be Star Wars’ first ever live-action television show. Taking place after the Empire but before the First Order, this tells the story of a Mandalorian gunfighter. A Rogue One-style Star Wars series will also be available on Disney Plus. There are also rumours of a live-action 'Lady and the Tramp' remake.
It's clear that Disney plans to play to their strength's, expanding on the worlds that used to be enjoyed on Netflix.
Disney Plus releases in the US this November 12th. Let's just hope they give SA some love sooner rather than later. It is also unclear how successful VPNs will be for Disney Plus in SA, as this is something used by many here to enjoy region-locked content available to America and Europe. If you're trying to find out which VPN service is best for you, check out VPNService, a vpn comparator site that compares the different services you can choose from.
