Disney Plus Streaming Service Goes Live; Threat To Netflix And Prime Video?

Disney -- the multi-billion dollar entertainment company has officially launched its own streaming service -- the Disney Plus to take on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, HBO, Hulu, and Apple TV+. With several advantages like exclusive content from Star Wars and MCU, the streaming service is expected to shake up the entire competition.

Important Features

Unlike Netflix, where users have to pay more to enjoy high-resolution content, Disney Plus includes everything in a single package. One single account can support up to 4 simultaneous streaming in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision on selected devices. Plus, the service also offers an option to download the content for offline viewing.

The service offers a ton of unique content, including the Avengers series, Star Wars, National Geographic series, The Simpsons, and Avatar.

Not just that, the company will also include a ton of original content like the Star Wars story based TV show -- The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and Hawkey from MCU and much more.

Supported Devices

Disney Plus supports a wide range of devices, including Xbox One, Playstation 4, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android devices, iOS devices, iPadOS devices, Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Chromecast, and web browsers.

Launch Date

In the first phase, the Display Plus service will be available in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands from November 12, 2019. The service will go live from November 19 in New Zealand and Australia. Lastly, the Display Plus service will be made available in Italy, Spain, UK, and Germany from March 31st, 2020. As of now, there is no information on the launch of the Disney Plus service in India.

Pricing

In the US, the company is charging $6.99/month with a discount for those who get an annual plan that costs $69.99/year. Users in Canada have to pay $8.99 Canadian dollars per month or $89.99 Canadian dollars per year.

Will It Affect Netflix And Prime Videos?

It might have a much of an impact on Prime Video. However, Netflix will definitely take a hit as Disney Plus offers a wide range of content at a much lower price.

Though there is no official word about the launch of the Disney Plus service in India, Hotstar might be working closely with Disney to bring all the exclusive content to Indian consumers via Hotstar Premium. The company is most likely to maintain Rs. 999 per year price tag to tackle the competition.

Even if Disney Plus comes to India, the leaked price of Rs. 590 per month and Rs. 5,900 per year makes it one of the most expensive streaming services in the country. Do not that the price of Disney Plus in the US is similar to the leaked pricing which costs $6.99 per month (approx Rs. 501).

Even the Apple TV+ subscription costs $4.99 in the US (approx Rs. 357) whereas, the same service is available for just Rs. 99 in India.