With Disney Plus finally available to the public, there’s no denying that it’s already a better value than its competition, such as Netflix. Its price point, available content, and upcoming additions all help to solidify this new service’s place as the elite among the elite. Not only do these help Disney’s service but it actually hurts that of Netflix’s as well, as they lose all Star Wars and Marvel properties. Netflix has been on a decline in all categories with a declining selection, a price hike, and dwindling original content, making it far less appealing as a product.
Disney’s pricing for its streaming service is a sight to be seen. Not only does it undercut the competition but it also offers loads of features. For only $6.99 a month, users are treated to ad-free content, UHD and 4K visuals, as well as allowing four devices to stream simultaneously. Netflix, on the other hand, requires $15.99 a month in order to observe all of the same features. A basic account can be purchased for $8.99, but that does not include HD video and only allows for one screen at a time. There is a premium option that can also be purchased for Disney Plus which is $12.99. This lets users have access to both Hulu and ESPN Plus. It’s difficult to make a compelling argument in favor of Netflix’s pricing model since for only $3 less a month, you can use three separate platforms compared to one. Netflix’s business model is no longer viable, and Disney, as much as people love to hate them, will decimate Netflix and force them to adapt or to die.
The pricing strategy is only able to exist due to Disney completely owning all of its content. Netflix has to obtain licenses for many of its big titles or put up the money to create original content. Since Netflix doesn’t have the same revenue or resources that Disney already owns, its price point becomes notably higher. However, Netflix has had a huge leap start on creating original content for its streaming platform. Hit titles such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Stranger Things have been highly enjoyable. Netflix does have more in this respect but Disney is already looking poised to catch up. Already available at launch is Star Wars’ The Mandalorian, live-action Lady and the Tramp, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Noelle, and a load of shorts and documentaries regarding Pixar, Marvel, Disneyland, and even Jeff Goldblum. Netflix may have the upper-hand for now, but Disney has plenty of time to catch up.
The future looks bright for the platform too concerning its upcoming content. A vast amount of new shows centering around the Marvel Cinematic Universe are set to launch in 2020 and beyond. Among them are Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, What If…, and Moon Knight. Star Wars is also getting its fair share of shows with The Clone Wars season 7 and Kenobi. Disney has also stated that new films and remakes will launch on the platform rather than in theatres. With planned remakes of Cheaper by the Dozen and Home Alone, users can expect to see big box office titles on the service. Netflix doesn’t seem to have as much coming in the future besides The Witcher series. Factor in that along with the cancellation of the Marvel shows, the road ahead seems bleak for Netflix, save for Stranger Things season 4.
This may all sound great but let’s look at what else you can watch right now. Once you’re finished watching all of the new content, Disney has brought its nearly entire back catalog to the service. Along with this, major Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and Disney Channel shows and movies are available to watch. Users can swap from Star Wars: Rebels to A Bug’s Life to the Spider-Man cartoon from the nineties at the push of a button. It’s absolutely incredible. Seeing all of your childhood favorites, and even Fox properties like Avatar and The Simpsons is majestic. What makes it so wonderful is also knowing that this content won’t leave the platform, like things from Netflix periodically do. There’s stability. Hit shows such as The Office and Friends have an expiration date on Netflix. There have been times where I began binge-watching a show only for it to leave a few weeks later before I was done. Not having to deal with that countdown may just be the biggest perk of Disney Plus.
From day one, Disney’s service has knocked it out of the park. Aside from the technical issues that some users have reported, it’s been full-steam ahead for the entertainment conglomerate. The corporation owns so many properties that there won’t be signs of slow-down any time soon. Netflix faces a real problem now more than ever. If they want to compete with Disney, as well as the upcoming HBO Max and even Hulu, things need to change, and quickly. There isn’t much being offered by Netflix to help make it more appealing when others services have superior lineups. A recently announced deal with Nickelodeon may help but for now, Disney Plus remains is the best option out there and will revolutionize streaming as we know it.