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Credit: Inside the MagicIts been a few days since Disney CEO Bob Iger made an announcement that would change the projection and success of Disney+ in 2024, after a failing quarter left the streaming platform in danger.
During The Walt Disney Company’s First Quarter 2024 Financial Results Conference Call, Disney spoke out on a majority of the changes that they were planning on putting into effect, as well as the revenue numbers for their various sectors of the company. We found out that park attendance was down, and that Disney+ lost 1.3 million subscribers in the final quarter of 2023 amid a hefty price hike that went into effect last fall, but managed to narrow its streaming business’ losses by $300 million during the October-December period.
With numbers looking down across the board, Disney made sure to come out swinging with announcements that would certainly have guests and shareholders feeling confident in Disney’s come-up. When it comes to the theme parks, we already knew that $60 billion would be put into investments across the world in that department. Now, we know that the changes will begin as of 2025, from theme parks around the world, as well as Disney Cruise Line.
Bob Iger was even asked about a fifth gate at Walt Disney World, and while he did not want to put a timeline on its future, he did not reject its possibility.
We also learned of Moana 2 coming to theaters on November 27, 2024, which was a massive news drop, as no one knew that a film was being created, and with the announcement being made with under a year until its debut, plenty of excitement has erupted on social media.
Additionally, one of the larger announcements surrounded Epic Games, as Disney confirmed a new Fortnite map that would allow players to enter various Disney worlds while playing, shopping, conversing, and more was on the way after their new partnership.
One announcement that shook Swiftie-nation was that Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Concert (Taylor’s Version) would be coming to Disney+. Not only would this mean that users of Disney+ could watch the show for free (as opposed to renting it for a few days for the high cost of $19.89), but they would be able to watch a new version of the concert that has never been shown on film. The Eras Tour Concert (Taylor’s Version) was confirmed to drop on Disney+ as of March 15, one day after the password-sharing ban would be in full effect.
As stated by Pop Base (@popbase) per Puck News, Disney paid over $75 million for the exclusive streaming rights to the film.
Disney paid $75 million for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film to stream on Disney+, Puck reports.
Disney paid $75 million for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film to stream on Disney+, Puck reports. pic.twitter.com/mzQ5GOIir4
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 9, 2024
Per the report, Disney outbid Netflix and Universal Pictures (which handled digital/VOD distribution for the film) for the streaming rights.
Following its widespread theatrical debut on October 13, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour has amassed an impressive $261.7 million in global box office earnings, cementing its status as the highest-grossing concert film ever released. As part of the Disney+ streaming release, viewers can anticipate bonus tracks, including “Cardigan” from Swift’s acclaimed 2020 album “Folklore,” along with four acoustic renditions. However, the specific acoustic tracks have not been disclosed by either Swift or Disney at this time.
Based on Variety’s “analysis of Swift’s three shows at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium shot for the film (and excluded from the original cut), those are likely the four acoustic “surprise songs” she performed: “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “I Can See You.”
During the earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated, “We know audiences are going to absolutely love the chance to relive the electrifying ‘Taylor Swift: Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)’ whenever they want on Disney+.”
The Eras Tour is said to have brought in $1 billion for Swift–a record for any tour–and may have boosted the U.S. economy overall by $4.6 billion, so this move was very strategic by Disney, as it will likely be a good way to recoup a lot of their lost subscribers that were previously reported.
As we stated earlier, the password crackdown on Disney+ will begin just one day before The Era’s Tour Concert drops on Disney+. Disney news outlet Mouse Info (@MouseInfo) shared a side by side photo on X which highlights the dates, which were intentionally placed. Now, Disney will likely see a massive spike in subscriptions on March 15, as users who have been sharing their passwords will have no choice but to pay for an account it they want to watch the never-before-seen version of the concert.
Now wait just a damn minute.
Now wait just a damn minute pic.twitter.com/RFpliQG7Lu
— MouseInfo | Disney News and Info (@MouseInfo) February 9, 2024
Today, fans of Taylor Swift will be cheering loudly for the Kansas City Chiefs as they face the 49ers in the Super Bowl, taking place in Las Vegas. Taylor Swift performed her concert in Tokyo last night, but is back to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play in the big game.
Would you purchase Disney+ to watch The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)?