Disney announces Disney+ video streaming service, will be available from November 12

Walt Disney has announced that its much-awaited Disney+ video streaming service will launch in the US on November 12 for $6.99/month (roughly Rs 500) or $69.99/year (roughly Rs 5,000). The service will launch “with a robust library of theatrical and television content,” from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic and “will be available on connected TV and mobile devices.” 

The California-based entertainment conglomerate gave investors their first look at the Disney+ app on Friday – while also touching briefly upon some of the service’s technical nuances. 

Unsurprisingly, there will be dedicated pages for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic – amid a familiar backdrop of recommended content. Like Netflix, subscribers will be able to create custom profiles – and parental controls will automatically be applied for children. Disney+ will support 4K HDR video playback and will be able to “adjust to the best possible high-definition viewing experience based on a subscriber’s available bandwidth.” Downloads for offline payback will be an option on Disney+. 

“Disney+ marks a bold step forward in an exciting new era for our company - one in which consumers will have a direct connection to the incredible array of creative content that is The Walt Disney Company’s hallmark. We are confident that the combination of our unrivaled storytelling, beloved brands, iconic franchises, and cutting-edge technology will make Disney+ a standout in the marketplace, and deliver significant value for consumers and shareholders alike,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said while announcing the service. 

Disney plans to release more than 25 original series and 10 original films, documentaries and specials by “some of the industry’s most prolific and creative storytellers,” in its first year – this will be in addition to “more than 7,500 television episodes and 500 films including blockbuster hits from 2019 and beyond.” Some of the originals planned for Disney+ include The Mandalorian (said to be the world’s first scripted live-action Star Wars series), The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Monsters at Work. All 30 seasons of The Simpsons will be available on Disney+ on day one, Disney has confirmed.  

Disney+ will launch in other markets, although Disney isn’t giving out a definite launch window yet – all it is saying for now is that it plans to be in nearly “all major regions of the world within the next two years.” 

On arrival, Disney+ will have a whole host of competition to rival including Apple’s Apple TV+ which is set to launch in over 100 countries including in India this fall (sometime in September).