Disney is leaving Netflix and doing their own streaming
- Thread starter Flint
- Start date
Disney will now have 60% ownership in Hulu and they have announced their plan is to invest heavily in making Hulu more competitive. They are still launching their own Disney streaming service which will focus on Family Friendly content including Star Wars and the Marvel franchises. Hulu will focus on adult themed content, potentially much more adult themed than currently on the service. I actually like the sound of this, though I do like many of the sci-fi and superhero franchises they will now own and might have to subscribe to the Disney service.
Other than being “more adult” what would make Hulu more competitive? I’m hoping they work to unify all the content available through stand-alone apps from the different providers.
Everyone agrees that one of the issues Hulu has always had was with all the non-majority owners not entirely agreeing on the direction of the service and unifying a model for content, marketing, and the user experience. For instance, many shows require advertising even when you are paying for the commercial free subscription, which is stupid. They also struggle with delay after a broadcast show airs and how long it remains on the service. The variety is confusing and insane because a Hulu subscriber doesn't really care which network their favorite shows are on and expect similar viewing opportunities across the entire streaming catalog. Now Disney essentially owns the direction and model and they are true experts, more so than any of the other broadcasters, of data driven marketing and product decisions. This should be good for all the Hulu subscribers.
Hulu has been a mess to deal with all along and it is super frustrating to only get certain episodes at any one point in time. That can make it very hard to do catch-up viewing. One of the reasons I set up my "DVR" solution in the first place was frustration over issues with Hulu. If we ever get to the point where all of these streaming services just work and we can get some kind of unified queue or guide, I would love to stop maintaining my increasingly expensive system.
Very true. The messy state of streaming has kept me mostly on the sideline thus far.
Flint said: ↑
Now Disney essentially owns the direction and model and they are true experts of data driven marketing and product decisions. This should be good for all the Hulu subscribers.
I also have always respected Disney for being willing to fund and do properly movies and shows which were never intended to be top selling blockbusters. They tend to take a very business-like view of the industry (much like Sony does) and really want to get a good ROI, not always setting records for ticket sales. Not every great idea needs to be the most popular.
Now Disney essentially owns the direction and model and they are true experts of data driven marketing and product decisions. This should be good for all the Hulu subscribers.
I also have always respected Disney for being willing to fund and do properly movies and shows which were never intended to be top selling blockbusters. They tend to take a very business-like view of the industry (much like Sony does) and really want to get a good ROI, not always setting records for ticket sales. Not every great idea needs to be the most popular.
While no one was looking, ESPN quietly announced they are about the launch their streaming service. This is the first of a two-pronged move for Disney to start going direct by skipping the middle man. They will somewhat quietly launch the ESPN service, work out the kinks, and go huge as their contracts with cable and satellite services run their course.
Disney just announced a restructuring with the company consisting of four major businesses, one of which is the "Direct to Consumer and International" division. The new direct to consumer group will house the streaming services which shows they absolute commitment to their future streaming services. They already have ESPN streaming and are likely to own Hulu soon. Next will be the Disney streaming service, which hasn't launched yet.
This is going to put a very large portion of the content we love to watch on a single dedicated service. Let's see if they can pull it off.
This is going to put a very large portion of the content we love to watch on a single dedicated service. Let's see if they can pull it off.