Credit: Inside the MagicThe entire Walt Disney Company, Disney+, in particular, is undergoing plenty of changes. Many of these impact not just the United States, but the whole global market.
Disney+ Changes, Domestic and International
New streaming regulations passed in Canada and present in the United States are gaining more attention in the public eye, particularly with already present inflation. This means more households are feeling the Disney+ changes. These range from content cuts to issues with the Disney Basic plan. From Marvel Studios to Pixar, the streaming wars are taking their toll.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and the Streaming Wars
Bob Iger can do a great deal, but changing the law is not on that list. So, when the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) both made active efforts to manage online streaming, the Walt Disney Company simply rode the wave. With over 100 million subscribers possessing a Disney+ account, these changes have the potential to impact every viewer and Disney+ content enthusiast.
Streaming Wars: Disney+ Changes in a Shifting Landscape
With the average viewer consuming 31 hours of TV content weekly, there is an unprecedented amount of pressure on companies to license and produce engaging, critically acclaimed Walt Disney Company content. The laws that both the US and Canada passed can increase the price of viewing and theme park attendance, in turn.
Infrastructural, political, and budgetary considerations inform Disney+ changes. These added costs impact the budget and pricing structure of the entire corporation, meaning it can impact everything from travel to resorts to attractions.
Disney+ Changes: Sustain to Maintain?
The more content a company produces and obtains, the more space it takes to store digitally. As content develops, it also means new opportunities for rides and attractions. These add to this the infrastructural demands of the company.
Content is expensive it is to upkeep. Since the Canadian regulations, specifically the Online Streaming Act, focus on the need to create and promote content that contributes to availability of Canadian stories. It’s to encourage employment for Canadians, it’s one key indicator of budget allocation.
Related: Disney Actors, Movies, and Icons You Didn’t Know Were Canadian
Disney+ Changing to Survive
The United States regulations effectively makes streaming giants like Disney+ treated as a regular broadcast network. This criminalizes the unlawful replication of the content, helping companies retain intellectual property rights and keep Disney+ at a reasonable price. Even so, the company increased its streaming rates, with its ad-free version rising by $3 per month in mid-2022 and the trend continuing.
Disney+ Changes: Publish or Perish Flipped on Its Head
With the increase, Disney planned to invest approximately $32 billion in its content in 2023. However, recent cuts under the supervision of Bob Iger left Disney Premium viewers wanting. Paired with its $33 billion infusion into movies and shows, Disney+ continues to bring in content, whether from Marvel Studios or George Lucas.
That said, the Walt Disney Company is in the middle of a Class Action lawsuit about (allegedly) deceiving shareholders. It surrounds Disney+ and is just one of the moving parts in the streaming wars. As for the future, any change Disney makes today will certainly inform its results.
What do you think about Disney+ changes? Is there enough content for you? Make yourself heard in the comments below!