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Credit: Inside the MagicDisney officially closed some of its streaming apps this week.
The Walt Disney Company’s journey into streaming has been anything but smooth sailing. When Disney+ debuted in November 2019, it quickly amassed millions of subscribers, driven by an unbeatable catalog of Disney classics, Marvel blockbusters, and Star Wars content. The breakout success of The Mandalorian added even more fuel to the fire, racking up over 2 million streams on its first day alone.
Within 24 hours, the service had surpassed 10 million subscribers, positioning it as a serious competitor to Netflix. However, maintaining that initial momentum proved harder than anticipated.
The COVID-19 pandemic initially gave Disney+ a subscription surge as homebound audiences craved entertainment. It also wreaked havoc on production schedules, causing significant delays for highly anticipated releases. As fresh content dried up, Disney+ had to navigate the tricky balance between keeping subscribers engaged and managing the ongoing disruptions to its content pipeline.
Before long, Disney+ faced a downward trend in subscriber numbers. By November 2022, the situation became dire as the platform’s mounting losses led to Bob Chapek, who had taken over as CEO from Bob Iger in 2020, being ousted as CEO. Disney reinstated Iger as CEO, with the returning executive getting to work setting the streaming platform on the right track.
Now, things are finally looking up for Disney+. By May, Disney+ finally turned a corner and posted its first profit. Despite previous projections of a $100 million loss for the most recent quarter, the streaming service stunned industry analysts by delivering a $47 million profit, surpassing expectations by two quarters.
Of course, this didn’t come easy. In the past year, Disney+ has raised prices, added ads to lower tiers, and bundled with Hulu and ESPN+. It’s also integrated Hulu content under the “Star” brand in some regions and closed its standalone Star+ service in Latin America, with more app closures on the way.
In August, it was announced that Disney would close the streaming apps for ABC, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic, as well as DisneyNOW, which combined content from various Disney-owned channels, such as Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD. In addition to live TV, it offered a selection of shows and movies, plus games tailored to kids and families.
Earlier this week, Disney stayed true to its word and axed all services. While each app’s content is still accessible via the webpage, Disney+ is now the defacto streaming app for your phone, tablet, or television.
This had been a long time coming, especially for DisneyNOW. In 2019, Disney began cutting its DisneyNOW library, pushing users toward Disney+.
Fan favorites like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Phineas and Ferb, The Proud Family, and Gravity Falls were pulled, along with older episodes of Raven’s Home, Bunk’d, Big City Greens, and DuckTales, all in an effort to encourage audiences to subscribe to Disney+.
Conveniently, in the same week it axed streaming via these services, Disney+ has also cracked down on password sharing. Users will now need to pay an add-on fee to allow friends and family in other households to watch TV shows or films on their account.
Will you miss DisneyNOW or any of Disney’s other axed streaming services?