Disney promise its streaming TV service will be cheaper than Netflix

Gearing up for the launch of a new Disney streaming platform, the media giant has promised its subscription rates will not be as high as those of its principal rival, Netflix.

According to The Wrap, Disney CEO Bob Iger says “Our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is,” which currently charges between $7.99 and $13.99 a month in the US, and between £7.49 – £8.99 in the UK.

While this would certainly seem like fighting talk designed to lure consumers over to Disney in favour of Netflix, Iger concedes the lower price “is in part reflective of the fact it’ll have less volume,” given it will be exclusively streaming content produced by Disney themselves.

This, of course, includes work produced by the Disney-owned Lucasfilm and Marvel, hence the platform will host the recently announced ‘Star Wars’ TV series, and will spell the end of the Marvel ‘Defenders’ TV universe on Netflix – although the fate of the existing Marvel Netflix shows is as-yet uncertain.

Still, though Disney intend to start out at a low price – no exact figures are given – Iger indicates subscription rates will go up with time as “a lot of high quality” content is added, much as has been the case with Netflix.

While Disney’s moves to create its own solo platform and remove its content from Netflix surprised many, Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Mayer has insisted it is “not an anti-Netflix move, but a pro-Disney move.”

Having purchased Lucasfilm and Marvel in the past five years, Disney’s expansion continues apace, as the company were also reported this week to be looking into purchasing the film and TV end of 21st Century Fox.

The Disney streaming platform is expected to launch in 2019.

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