Disney's Streaming Services: Disney+ (and Hulu, ESPN+, Star, & hotstar)

[MisterPenguin]

New Star Wars-Inspired The Simpsons Short Coming to Disney+ on May the 4th - ComicBook.com

The Simpsons is once again celebrating Star Wars Day on May the 4th by releasing an all-new short in honor of the galaxy far, far away, this time with the short “Maggie Simpson in ‘Rogue Not Quite One.'” Back in 2021, the beloved baby also starred in the short “Maggie Simpson in ‘The Force...

comicbook.com

 

[Phroobar]

New Star Wars-Inspired The Simpsons Short Coming to Disney+ on May the 4th - ComicBook.com

The Simpsons is once again celebrating Star Wars Day on May the 4th by releasing an all-new short in honor of the galaxy far, far away, this time with the short “Maggie Simpson in ‘Rogue Not Quite One.'” Back in 2021, the beloved baby also starred in the short “Maggie Simpson in ‘The Force...

comicbook.com

Remember when the Simpsons where a family in Springfield that got into wacky and stupid situations? No? Me either. They treat the Simpsons like they do the Muppets and never let them be them. They only reason they do these shorts is to remind us Disney owns them.

 

[mary2013]

Remember when the Simpsons where a family in Springfield that got into wacky and stupid situations? No? Me either. They treat the Simpsons like they do the Muppets and never let them be them. They only reason they do these shorts is to remind us Disney owns them.

How are these any different than the Treehouse of Horror episodes?

 

[doctornick]

How are these any different than the Treehouse of Horror episodes?

Yeah. I kinda love the shorts. They aren’t “canon” for the show but just fun. And realistically they are still making full seasons of “normal” episodes if these shorts aren’t your thing.

 

[Phroobar]

How are these any different than the Treehouse of Horror episodes?

Even there you don't have the characters being themselves unless they are telling a story.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Yeah. I kinda love the shorts. They aren’t “canon” for the show but just fun. And realistically they are still making full seasons of “normal” episodes if these shorts aren’t your thing.

Yeah, a 10-minute short is its' own thing and isn't reflective of the franchise as a whole at all.

It's not even unusual for ANY show to do a random fantasy episode outside of the regular canon.

Back in the day Roseanne for example did several such episodes, such as the one where they were on Gilligan's Island.

 

[Disney Irish]

Remember when the Simpsons where a family in Springfield that got into wacky and stupid situations? No? Me either. They treat the Simpsons like they do the Muppets and never let them be them. They only reason they do these shorts is to remind us Disney owns them.

If Disney cancelled the regular season and only had these shorts you’d have a point. But they didn’t so you’re hating on something that many enjoy for no reason other than to hate.

Basically don’t like them then just ignore them and watch the regular season episodes.

 

[doctornick]

I’ll also point out that this sort of thing isn’t new with Disney ownership. Remember the “Behind the Laughter” mockumentary episode years ago?

 

[Phroobar]

If Disney cancelled the regular season and only had these shorts you’d have a point. But they didn’t so you’re hating on something that many enjoy for no reason other than to hate.

Basically don’t like them then just ignore them and watch the regular season episodes.

I'm not hating on it. The Simpsons are pretty much a zombie franchise. Disney has only used them to promote popular franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, b-list celebrities and even their D+. I guess that is what happens when your the c-list acquired franchise.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'm not hating on it. The Simpsons are pretty much a zombie franchise. Disney has only used them to promote popular franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, b-list celebrities and even their D+. I guess that is what happens when your the c-list acquired franchise.

First there are many fans of the Simpsons who have claimed it was a "zombie franchise" long before Disney took them over. But for being one of the longest running series on television you're going to get stale at some point to certain set fans, while others still enjoy it.

Also these are not the first shorts done with the Simpsons. Back in 2012 Fox put out "The Longest Daycare" that ran in front of Ice Age: Continental Drift. So these are not anything new to the Simpsons franchise.

As a follow up to that short Disney put out "Playdate with Destiny" in 2020 it ran in front of Onward but quickly moved to D+ for obvious reasons, nothing to do with promoting anything other than itself.

And with the two collaboration shorts with Billie Eilish and Andrea Bocelli, and I wouldn't call Billie a B-list celebrity nor Bocelli.

Anyways I get your opinion, but I find these now 8 shorts are hardly Disney ONLY using Simpsons for promotional purposes. Again the series is still on the air, and has been as of earlier this year renewed for at least 2 more seasons, surpassing over 800 episodes.

 

[DCBaker]

"Hulu with Live TV is expanding its roster of TV channels.

The Disney-owned virtual MVPD says that it will add local PBS stations, PBS Kids, and Magnolia Network to its core live TV lineup.

The PBS stations and PBS Kids in particular are a substantial addition to the lineup, with PBS stations effectively filling out the lineup of major broadcast networks. Magnolia, meanwhile, builds on the current lifestyle programming, which includes HGTV."

Full article below.

Hulu With Live TV Adds PBS, PBS Kids, Magnolia Network to Lineup

Local PBS stations and the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Magnolia will join Hulu's core channel lineup.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[DCBaker]

Flamin' Hot releases on Disney+ and Hulu on June 9.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Peabody Awards 2023 Winners.

Related to Disney/Disney+...

ENTERTAINMENT​

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

“A group of passionate Philadelphia public school teachers battle budget restrictions, a rival charter school, and their own (mostly) incompetent principal, forging friendships and an occasional love match in this sweet mockumentary sitcom from creator and star Quinta Brunson.”

Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios



“Andor” (Disney+)

“The ‘Star Wars’ franchise gets a new perspective, focusing on thief-turned-Rebel spy Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. Taking place during a time before the first ‘Star Wars’ film when a Rebel Alliance is forming in opposition to the fascist Galactic Empire, the series explores themes of Fascism and how resistance movements emerge from the strangling weight of authoritarian repression.”

Lucasfilm Ltd.



“Atlanta” (FX)

“Creator-star Donald Glover finishes his four-season masterpiece about a group of friends that includes rapper Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles and his manager cousin, ‘Earn’ Marks, along with their friends Darius and Van. The final two seasons are particularly inventive as the characters find themselves in new situations and consider their relationships to each other and their hometown.”

FX Productions

ARTS​

“Fire of Love” (Disney+)

“Miranda July narrates this dramatic documentary about the doomed relationship between obsessive French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft and their shared passion for capturing spectacular imagery of stunning—and deadly—volcanoes.”

National Geographic Documentary Films presents A Sandbox Films Production / An Intuitive Pictures & Cottage M Production

DOCUMENTARY​

“The Territory” (Disney+)

“This immersive, awe-inspiring documentary looks at the tireless fight of the Amazon’s Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by farmers and illegal settlers.”

National Geographic Documentary Films Presents A Documist And Associação Jupaú Film in association with Time Studios, Xtr, Doc Society Climate Story Fund / A Production of Protozoa Pictures, Passion Pictures, Real Lava


“Aftershock” (Hulu)

“After the deaths of two young women from childbirth complications, their families galvanize activists, birth workers, and physicians to face America’s grave maternal health crisis in this eye-opening film.”

A Malka Films and Madstone Company Inc Production In Association with Good Gravy Films and JustFilms | Ford Foundation Impact Partners Presents

 

[MisterPenguin]

Why 2023 Upfronts Mean More for Disney+ Than Netflix

VIP+ Analysis: This year's upfront will be crucial for Disney, and could shape its strategy around Disney+ and Hulu going forward.

variety.com

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Why 2023 Upfronts Mean More for Disney+ Than Netflix

VIP+ Analysis: This year's upfront will be crucial for Disney, and could shape its strategy around Disney+ and Hulu going forward.

variety.com

More of that "to sell or not to sell Hulu" pressure in that article. You think Disney wants all of Hulu just for ad money?

 

[MisterPenguin]

More of that "to sell or not to sell Hulu" pressure in that article. You think Disney wants all of Hulu just for ad money?

It has a robust ad-selling tech already that generates a lot of money.

Funny, the article calls Hulu an albatross and then praises the $3B dollars in brings in with ad money.

Also, most of what is Hulu is integrated with D+ international as the Star portal within D+.

Rip that out and Disney will have to charge less for D+ internationally.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It has a robust ad-selling tech already that generates a lot of money.

Funny, the article calls Hulu an albatross and then praises the $3B dollars in brings in with ad money.

Also, most of what is Hulu is integrated with D+ international as the Star portal within D+.

Rip that out and Disney will have to charge less for D+ internationally.

Also the DOMESTIC D+ ad-tier, even unbundled, runs on Hulu tech.

 

[BrianLo]

It has a robust ad-selling tech already that generates a lot of money.

Funny, the article calls Hulu an albatross and then praises the $3B dollars in brings in with ad money.

Also, most of what is Hulu is integrated with D+ international as the Star portal within D+.

Rip that out and Disney will have to charge less for D+ internationally.

I don't think Star would actually be very impacted. There would still be content licensing deals for what Hulu would actually produce, which is kind of still limited. For example we don't have Handmaid's Tale on Star here.

FX/Searchlight wouldn't be going anywhere, which on its own would still go under the Star label internationally. Unless Disney really wants to go back towards licensing out their general adult entertainment overseas. Not really a strategy I see Iger fully employing.

 

[BrianLo]

Handmaids Tale (Ending), Solar Opposites, Only Murders in the Building, The Kardashians (?I think) seem to be the only current running Hulu shows I've even heard of that would be lost in a theoretical Hulu deal.

I'm not sure Hulu as a content label is actually attractive to Comcast.

-The value for them would be the live service.
-Potentially sneaking in apathetic subscribers into a combined Peacock/Hulu - doubling their Peacock subscriber count and slowly weaning Hulu off whatever window of licensing agreements FX/20th would have to probably adhere to as part of the deal.
-The ad platform.

Disney doesn't really lose much of anything in the process. Yes, Hulu revenue gooses their streaming numbers, but they'd be fully capable of creating a US based Star overnight and the 20+ billion dollar deal would surely stave off Wall Street from the lost Hulu revenue.
-They'd also still make a good deal of licensing money from Hulu for their FX etc. content, until it was all shifted to D+. I'd imagine that would happen over 3-5 years.

I still don't think it's very likely this will go the way of Comcast. But if they want to pay for it, I also feel like Bob is savvy enough to let it go.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

I’m not going to provide a source, in order to prevent judgement of said source, but I read some articles, and they mentioned in a paragraph or two that most (if not some) investors are rooting for Disney to sell off Hulu.