Credit: DisneyThe permanent shutdown of The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service has affected millions of subscribers. How is the company managing this bold move?
The Walt Disney Company has enforced several changes to Disney+, its international streaming service, since its launch in 2019. Some of these changes, like permanently removing a vast catalog from the platform and lacking fan-favorite shows, have stirred debate among subscribers.
Many have not been shy about voicing their opinions about this changing catalog, demanding, for example, that the company add House of Mouse to Disney+.
19 years ago today, Disney’s HOUSE OF MOUSE came to an end.
It was one of the greatest shows ever made! Please put it on @DisneyPlus!
It was one of the greatest shows ever made! Please put it on @DisneyPlus ! pic.twitter.com/grAtdETlRL
— Marc Santiago – Huck & Blueberry Fan With Autism (@MarcSan03624032) October 24, 2022
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However, millions of subscribers have now been affected by another drastic change: The Walt Disney Company has permanently axed an entire branch of its streaming service.
Disney+ shuts down entire branch permanently
While the news didn’t come unannounced, millions of subscribers have been blocked out of the streaming platform in an international change to the Disney+ streaming platform, transforming it into what The Walt Disney Company calls “A new Disney+” in Latin America.
This change entails merging Disney+ with Star+, the equivalent of Hulu South of the United States border.
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The ambitious merger started on June 26, when all the fan-favorite series and movies from Star+ and sports from ESPN migrated to Disney+.
Star+ remained operational for another month, allowing subscribers to decide whether to participate in the merger or abandon the platform once it was shut down.
However, the streaming service has been permanently shut down, blocking millions of users from accessing Star+ online and through its mobile apps.
Star+ is no longer available
As announced by Disney in an email sent to all subscribers, Star+ permanently shut down on July 24, barring users from accessing the platform and its catalog.
Since the platform’s closure, users are shown the following message when trying to access the Star+ app, which reads:
The Star+ catalog is only available on Disney+
Please download or login to Disney+ to continue enjoying your favorite Star movies, series, Originals, and live sports from ESPN.
Go to disneyplus.com/help for more info.
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This change may have shocked users unaware of the coming updates to Disney+ in Latin America. However, the merger between the two streaming services provides a more streamlined experience for all subscribers.
What happened to all the original content?
As mentioned above and clarified by Disney in multiple emails, the entire Star+ catalog has migrated to Disney+. It is now accessible exclusively on said streaming service by clicking the Star catalog or ESPN logo on the home page.
The Disney+ help website in Latin America states that all the series, movies, original shows, and live sports events exclusive to Star+ and ESPN are now available only on Disney+. The site also details the following regarding each category:
- Series and movies: Star offers the highest-quality series and movies on demand. You can enjoy classic films like The Fast and the Furious (2001) or Mission: Impossible (1996) and the latest blockbusters. You can also enjoy all sorts of series, from The Simpsons and Family Guy to Homeland and American Horror Story.
- Exclusives and originals: When browsing Star, you can also find an incredible catalog of exclusive series like This Is Us (2016), Love, Victor (2020), and Only Murders in the Building (2021), as well as original local series varying per region.
- Live Sports: When clicking the ESPN logo on the Disney+ home page, you can access the linear channels and exclusive ESPN content, not only what is broadcast on traditional television. You can enjoy your favorite games live, from soccer to tennis and everything in between, or watch the replays whenever you want.
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Does this merger mean pricing will change?
Unfortunately, yes. The merger between Disney+ and Star+ will change the subscription prices of the streaming service in Latin America.
Disney now offers two subscription plans for users and states that the entire Star catalog is available on both tiers. However, the Premium subscription provides access to additional exclusive content. Said plans are described as follows:
- Disney+ Standard: Priced at 219 MXN (roughly $11) monthly. This subscription provides access to select ESPN channels (ESPN, ESPN 3), “the greatest movies and series,” up to 1080 Full HD video and 5.1 audio, two simultaneous streams, and downloads on up to 10 devices.
- Disney+ Premium: Priced at 299 MXN (about $15) a month. This plan provides access to all ESPN channels, exclusive tournaments, and sports events, “the greatest movies and series,” up to 4K UHD & HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio, four simultaneous streams, and downloads on up to 10 devices.
Disney+ Premium replaced the Combo+ subscription tier with a slight price increase. The former Combo+ subscription was priced at 269 MXN (about $13), and subscribers will see a 30 MXN increase on their next billing date if they decide to keep their plan, now Disney+ Premium.
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Parents voice their concerns
With most of the Star+ movies and series oriented toward mature audiences, parents were naturally concerned about their children’s safety when exposed to this content.
Some of the movies and series in the Star catalog, like Poor Things (2023) and notably Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018), flaunt an R rating due to intense violence, sexual content, and strong language, which triggered parents’ concerns about their children’s protection.
Multiple social media accounts took these concerns with humor, saying that children will beg their parents to let them watch Poor Things because The Avengers, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will show up at some point. One account quoted Helen Lovejoy’s iconic phrase from The Simpsons: “Won’t somebody please think of the children?”
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However, The Walt Disney Company ensures that “Disney+ is still a safe place for your children” despite the merger. An email sent to all users details that subscribers can adjust the available library according to their children’s age using parental control features, avoiding unwanted mishaps.
“With the arrival of live channels and sports events to Disney+, now you can also deactivate the ‘Not Rated & Live Content’ option so that your profiles can’t access this content,” Disney says. On the other hand, you can activate this option to access this content.
Additionally, Disney states that content from Star and ESPN will not be included in profiles with Junior Mode active, appeasing these concerns.
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There you have it, folks. Disney+ has officially been changed forever in Latin America, and the merger has stirred mixed reactions among fans and subscribers, some of whom are still confused about the new streaming service.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), user @AntonioWagnerC1 commented, “Star+ was amazing. Too bad they screwed it up, merging it with Disney.”
User @JoseAlb18637950 added, “The mergers between enterprises or companies are a sign of the failure of one of them…” while @PandaMartinez15 boldly stated: “What must be done to survive, Disney is going down the drain.”
LO QUE HAY QUE HACER PARA SOBREVIVIR, DISNEY SE ESTA LLENDO AL AGUJERO
— Noticias Mundiales 24/7 4 Dimensión (@PandaMartinez15) June 26, 2024
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Disney+ in the United States
While this specific merger won’t affect the streaming service in the United States, American subscribers have had their fair share of changes and problems with Disney+.
Streaming service infuriates subscribers
Similarly to Disney+ and Star+ in Latin America, Disney’s streaming platform merged with Hulu earlier this year. The merger suggested that the new streaming service would lean into the “Hulu side of things,” abandoning classic Disney themes and content.
Additionally, with Hulu suggestions included in the app’s search engine, Disney+ aimed to attract more subscribers with a bundle subscription, which was irritating for those who weren’t keen on being pushed into signing up for a new service.
Additionally, The Walt Disney Company confirmed that the streaming platform will undergo another significant change throughout this year, adding ESPN content to Disney+ ahead of the launch of a standalone ESPN streaming service scheduled to debut in Fall 2025.
Disney CEO Bob Iger stated, “I see this as a first step to bringing ESPN to Disney+ viewers as we ready the launch of our enhanced standalone ESPN streaming service in the fall of 2025.”
Unlike the Hulu banner – which requires a bundle subscription to access Hulu content – any regular Disney+ subscriber will be able to watch a limited selection of live sports through the platform. ESPN bundle subscribers will receive the added bonus of being able to watch all content offered by ESPN+.
But the mergers and bundles don’t stop there. In May, Disney revealed plans to launch a new streaming bundle that would include Disney+, Hulu, and Max.
“On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value,” said Joe Earley, President of Direct to Consumer, Disney Entertainment.
“This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today,” Earley added.
“This new offering delivers for consumers the greatest collection of entertainment for the best value in streaming, and will help drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention,” added JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games at Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Offering this unprecedented entertainment value for fans across all the complimentary genres these three services offer, presents a powerful new roadmap for the future of the industry.”
The pricing for ad-based and premium subscription tiers and the launch date for this new bundle are still unknown, but The Walt Disney Company stated that additional details would be revealed in the coming months.
Disney broadcasts worldwide
The Walt Disney Company’s streaming services and broadcast channels have also suffered multiple changes and even entire shutdowns worldwide.
In India, Disney+ Hotsar announced plans to start enforcing a policy of limiting the number of devices premium subscribers could log in from, slashing the account’s benefits by over 50% by 2023.
In 2022, Disney announced that it would cease all its Disney Channel broadcasts in Russia following a halt in all its releases in the country, condemning the “unprovoked invasion” of Ukraine.
This halt included content and product licensing, but it was reported that some channels would take time to pause their operations due to contractual nuances.
Disney Channel was replaced by a new children’s channel called “Solntse,” which means “sun” in Russian.
Remember, you have the final word. Tell Inside the Magic and our readers if your experience has been affected by the merger between Disney+ and Hulu in America!