Disney Life to continue in the UK 'for some time' while we wait for Disney+

Those waiting for the announcement of when Disney+, the new Disney streaming platform, will be launching in the UK may be waiting a little while yet.

A UK launch date has been increasingly notable by its absence in recent months, as Disney hypes the online space where vast swathes of its back catalogue will reside, along with huge new serialised projects from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises.

When the huge project was announced back in 2018, we presumed on this side of the pond that it would likely launch on the same day as in the US – November 12 – but as that date has begun to close in, it appears that won't be the case.

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As spotted by Digital TV Europe, Disney's UK-only streaming service Disney Life responded to a question from a user who, as the hype for Disney+ grows, was wondering how come we don't have a launch date yet.

“When does the UK get Disney+ and what will happen to Disney Life?” asked Damien 93.

Came the reply: “You will continue to be able to enjoy DisneyLife for some time. We will of course update you when there is more information to share on the local availability of Disney+.”

Users were then pointed to the UK Disney+ preview page to sign up to receive updates.

According to previous reporting by Film Stories, the issue surrounding the UK launch of the service is likely down to Disney's current licensing deal with Sky, an arrangement which doesn't expire until next year.

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Disney UK has previously confirmed to Yahoo that it will launch Disney+ in Western Europe between October 2019 and March 2020, with pricing (it’s reckoned it could be around £6.99 a month), content and a specific launch date still to be confirmed.

But this leaves those in the UK who are desperate to see Jon Favreau's new flagship Star Wars series The Mandalorian when it launches in the US on November 12 somewhat unsatisfied, as it's not known whether Disney Life will host the series.

Yesterday, Disney uploaded a three-hour plus video to its YouTube page with snippets of every TV show and programme coming to the service, while the Disney Twitter account began a deluge of over 500 tweets listing the available titles (just not in the UK).

Disney+ will launch in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on 12 November, and then in Australia and New Zealand on 19 November.