During today’s Quarter 4 earnings call, Disney made a few new announcements about the launch and the future of Disney+.
Disney+ Will Be Available on Many Devices
Now at launch, the Disney+ app will be available on Roku, PS4, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android, iOS Chromecast, and Xbox, along with Samsung and LG smart TVs.
FX Programming is Coming to Hulu
According to Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, FX content will now have a streaming home on Hulu. This will include a back catalog of FX shows and movies, along with new episodes, which will be added to Hulu just hours after they air. FX content will come to Hulu in March 2020.
What About “Consumer Confusion”?
When asked whether he’s concerned about how many streaming services exist now and how many new services are launching, Iger said that consumer confusion isn’t the problem that some news outlets are making it out to be. He compared the selection of streaming services on the market to websites and apps. There may be many to choose from, but generally, viewers know what they’re looking for and are capable of comparing services to find what works for them. A wide variety of services isn’t a negative. It’s simply offering more options to allow viewers to find exactly what they want to watch.
Feedback on the Pre-Launch in The Netherlands
Ahead of the US launch of Disney+, the company gave viewers in The Netherlands the opportunity to test Disney+. While the new, original content that will be available on November 12th was missing during the test run, this was a chance for users to try out the features and comment on any issues with the streaming service.
Iger said that there was praise for both the interface and the user experience from those in The Netherlands. He commented that users were happy about the ability to download content for offline viewing, going on to comment that the company is pleased with the “technical soundness and reliability of the platform.”
Expansion to New Markets
Disney+ will launch in the US on November 12. Soon after, Disney+ will launch in Australia and New Zealand on November 19th.
Iger also announced that Disney+ will expand to Europe in March 2020. The UK, France, Italy, and Spain were listed specifically, though Iger mentioned other locations would be included as well.
Is the Platform Ready for a Surge of Subscribers?
One question brought up during the call asked about the deal with Verizon which will give Verizon Unlimited customers a free year of Disney+. Iger was asked f the platform will be able to handle the rush of new subscribers when the service launches. Iger repsonded with full confidence, saying “We believe that we’re really ready for scale” and noting that everything is in place to prepare for the launch.
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