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Credit: Inside the MagicWith streaming platforms and entertainment companies currently at the forefront of people’s minds, one company has continued to stand out above the rest.
The Walt Disney Company has been under fire most of this year for its clear disregard of its fans and subscribers, especially as comments from CEO Bob Iger have come to light. Its streaming platform, Disney+, debuted in 2019 and took off rapidly, especially during the 2020 pandemic. It became a home for almost a dozen Marvel series and has essentially helped create the Star Wars Cinematic Universe with the Mando-Verse as part of it.
The Walt Disney Company Is Losing Its Magic
This past year, however, Disney+ seems to have hit a roadblock, as dozens of original series and movies have been removed from the platform in the last several months. This happened alongside the merger of Hulu and Disney, with Hulu also announcing the removal of some of its own programs, and was followed by the dual writers and actors Hollywood strikes.
Related: Bob Iger “Destroying” Disney, Petition Calls for Immediate Resignation
Iger’s comments calling the strikers’ demands “unrealistic” soon surfaced as he was simultaneously losing face with Disney parks fans over thousands of layoffs and disappointing park updates. Overall, it hasn’t been the best year for The Walt Disney Company, and Iger’s return as CEO hasn’t been nearly as positive as fans were hoping it would be.
Now, in a new report from Variety, it’s clear just how much Disney has “lost” in the last few years. The report, called “The Show Must Go Off,” collected data from some of the most popular streaming platforms between 2020 and 2023, including Max, Apple TV+, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Paramount+.
Related: Disney Offered $10 Billion for Multiple Networks
Streaming Platforms Continue Cancellation Spree
Perhaps not surprisingly, Max had the highest amount of canceled shows, with a roughly 27% cancellation rate. Max and Warner Bros. Discovery have been even more ruthless than Disney when it comes to removing content, including several original series, beloved animated Cartoon Network shows, and a ton of other children’s programming.
The second-highest streaming platform for content cancellation was Disney+, coming in at 21%. This also isn’t too surprising, given its recent track record. Iger himself pointed fingers at Marvel, stating that perhaps the studio had unnecessarily focused too much on creating original MCU series rather than creating Avengers: Endgame (2019) level films, as fans have started to cry “superhero fatigue” along with overall Disney fatigue.
Related: All Disney Owned Cable Channels Disappear: ESPN, ABC, and More Canceled
In the recent quarterly earnings call for the company, Iger stated that subscriber numbers have remained steady although outside research shows that the streaming platform has actually lost millions of subscribers. As The Walt Disney Company looks for new ways to make the platform more profitable, including cracking down on account and password sharing in the new year.
Fans still haven’t forgiven the platform for removing shows like Prop Culture, which showed an insider look at how props helped shape and create iconic movies. Now, with dozens of Marvel projects officially delayed indefinitely, it’s surely only a matter of time before another wave of canceled projects is announced.
What do you think about Disney+? Was it ahead of its time or is it struggling to keep up? Let us know in the comments below!