One of the dilemmas facing cord-cutters these days is which streaming services to subscribe to. You used to choose between the major players like Netflix or Hulu. Now, smaller services are popping up many carrying content from one provider. For example, CBS All Access focuses on properties from CBS and DCU focuses on programming featuring DC comics characters. I’ve been avoiding paying for smaller, specialty services that add to my streaming bill, but the folks at Disney have certainly gotten my attention with their new Disney + streaming service.
Priced at $6.99 per month, this service will feature a library of Disney classics as well new series based on Disney properties. It will also be home to the Marvel Universe movies and offer new live-action series with Falcon, Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Loki, Scarlet Witch, and Vision as well as animated What If? series.
The new service will also be home to the Star Wars movies and new animated shows set in the Star Wars Universe. Then there are the movies and programs Disney acquired along with their purchase of Fox including 30 years worth of the Simpsons.
The service will launch in November with 500 movies and 7,500 television episodes. At just under $7 monthly or $70 for a full year, it’s substantially cheaper than Netflix and features a lot of family-friendly options.
In contrast, CBS’s All Access service is $5.99 monthly but you’ll have to sit through commercials. Their commerical-free plan is $9.99 a month. For me, the only real draw of that service was the new Star Trek series and the reboot of Twilight Zone. For my viewing tastes, the Disney service seems more attractive. Especially since they’ve announced Marvel series starring the actors who play the superheroes in the films. And eventually, this service will likely be the only option for viewing Disney kids, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel movies and shows.
As more and more content providers launch their own streaming services, users will be faced with the same quandaries they faced with cable and satellite TV. Which channels (services) are worth spending the money on?
Disney hasn’t released details of which Devices the service will be available on, but expect to see it on phone and tablet apps, Roku, Xbox, FireTV, Smart TVs, and the usual streaming devices.
You can sign up at this link to be notified when more details are available: https://preview.disneyplus.com/