Disney Plus is set to launch in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands on November 12, with Australia and New Zealand able to access Disney’s new streaming service a week later. The platform will bring together virtually all of Disney’s movies and television shows, which will include all of their Star Wars content. Some dedicated users of Netflix and Amazon Prime may have concerns about signing up to a new subscription service purely to access Disney media, but the exclusivity of its content may make Disney Plus difficult to ignore.
So, what will this mean for the Star Wars franchise? The original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and The Force Awakens will all be available on Disney Plus at its launch, along with Rogue One. Television series The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels will also be accessible to subscribers, along with the new original series The Mandalorian. Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian adds new stories to the Star Wars canon between Episode VI and Episode VII.
While the scale and variety of Netflix’s library is effective at maintaining users’ loyalty, concerns about Disney Plus’ long-term appeal are valid. The concept of a platform hosting content from just one company has been tested in the gaming industry. Origin has exclusive rights to some EA games, while Ubisoft has its Uplay desktop app to bring together all of the company’s releases. However, players mostly prefer the platforms that bring balance to their selection of games.
Steam has thrived on the size and diversity of its gaming library, making it most PC gamers’ first port of call for new releases. Its format also allows indie developers to sit alongside the biggest names like Valve and Rockstar. iGaming platforms have mostly taken a similar approach. It is common that the games of heavyweight developers can be found together on the same platform. For example, the Manekichi online casino brings together games from over 20 providers.
In the streaming context, Netflix is equivalent to Steam or an online casino, able to host the work of competing film studios. However, Disney Plus’s inclusion of many of the world’s biggest movie franchises is an asset. While fans of Star Wars may be cautious of joining up to another new subscription service, there are plenty of reasons why Disney Plus should provide the ideal long-term solution for those wanting to lose themselves in a galaxy far far away.
If any company is capable of creating a platform that can challenge Netflix, then it’s Disney. With its animated classics sitting alongside Star Wars releases, Disney Plus has exclusive rights to some of the finest films ever made. Original Disney Plus productions don’t stop with The Mandalorian. The Clone Wars is getting a 7th season, while Ewan McGregor is set to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in an original show.
With new Star Wars content set to arrive each year, there will be a strong temptation to stay subscribed. Also, there’s no risk of your favorite Star Wars shows disappearing just as you’re halfway through a season, something which can happen on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Once they’re on Disney Plus, they are there to stay.
Many Star Wars fans will already own the movies on DVD, although their availability on a streaming platform does provide convenience. However, the original Disney Plus Star Wars shows may be a suitable reward for subscribers. Only time will tell if Disney Plus will have enough variety to keep viewers coming back for more.
