Disney is planning to launch its own streaming service in 2019 with cheaper subscription rates. There is still no further information about the exact launch of the streaming service and a list of their subscription offers.
During a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, "I can say that our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is. That is in part reflective of the fact that it will have substantially less volume."
"It'll have a lot of high quality because of the brands and the franchises that will be on it that we've talked about. But it'll simply launch with less volume, and price will reflect that," Iger added.
The executive also stated that they will make use of other Disney assets to attract customers after the launch of their own streaming service. Iger explained, "It is our goal to attract as many subs as possible as starting out. We think we've got some interesting opportunities there given the affinity to Disney."
He further added that they will make use of their Disney brand credit cards, Disney Club memberships and D23 fan clubs as channels to promote their streaming service.
Several big Disney films are currently available for streaming on Netflix like "Mulan," "Moana," "Doctor Strange," "The Jungle Book" and more.
With preparations underway, the entertainment giant hasn't announced the list of the Disney content to be included in their direct-to-customer streaming service.
The standard subscription rate for Netflix users is $7.99 per month. Reports indicate that Disney is planning to offer a monthly rate of at least $5 to $6. That depends on whether Netflix will increase their rate in the near future.
Disney has its hands full with their upcoming movies in 2017 and 2018. Disney will conclude 2017 with the fantasy and sci-fi film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" to be released on Dec. 15.
