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Credit: Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney Company has confirmed a definitive shutdown with a popular streaming service getting permanently axed.
Since its launch in 2019, Disney+, The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, has undergone several changes, from massive chunks of its catalog being canceled and removed from the platform to divisive changes in viewer’s subscriptions.
Now, the multi-national streaming service is facing a new drastic change: The company is permanently axing an entire branch.
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In just a few weeks, the international version of Disney+ in Latin America will undergo a massive makeover, releasing what The Walt Disney Company calls “A new Disney+.”
This change entails the merger of Disney+ with Star+, the equivalent of Hulu in Latin America. The coming update will significantly change the streaming service’s catalog, causing concerns among parents.
The merge is planned for June 26, when all of the fan-favorite series and movies from Star+ and sports from ESPN migrate to Disney+.
An email sent out to Star+ subscribers assures that the platform will still be accessible until July 24, nearly a month after the upcoming merge. However, the streaming service’s entire library will be available exclusively on Disney+ after that date.
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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.
However, The Walt Disney Company ensures that “Disney+ is still a safe place for your children” despite the merger. The email details that subscribers can adjust the available library according to their children’s age using parental control features, avoiding any unwanted mishaps.
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This merger will bring unavoidable changes to subscription plans in Latin America.
Access to the expanded library in the streaming service will be granted with a subscription to “Disney+ Premium,” which will also allow downloads, simultaneous streams, and devices as subscribers of both platforms do today.
The company states that there will be no immediate changes to subscribers’ pricing or billing date until after the merge has taken place, at which point, they will pay MXN 299 (roughly $15) per month.
Disney+ Standard, a new, lower-priced plan, will also become available to better suit the needs of current and new subscribers. You can click here to learn more about the coming pricing changes.
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Changes to The Walt Disney Company streaming services and broadcast channels have affected viewers worldwide.
Last year, Disney announced that the company would start enforcing a policy in India to limit the number of devices premium subscribers could log in from, slashing the account’s benefits by over 50%.
Additionally, Disney Channel stirred polemic in 2022, as the channel ceased all broadcasts in Russia in December, replaced by a new children’s channel called “Solntse,” which means “sun” in Russian.
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The Walt Disney Company enforced a similar merger in the United States earlier this year, making international viewers expect Latin America to follow its steps.
The merger between Disney+ and Hulu has stirred conversation among viewers, raising uncertainty about the future of Disney’s streaming service.
What do you think about the merger between Hulu and Disney+ in the United States? Has your experience been affected by the streaming services merging? Drop your comments below!