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

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
President Craig Erwich who is in charge of content for ABC, Hulu Originals as well as Freeform and Disney Branded Television.​
In his opening remarks at TCA Saturday, Erwich argued about the value of programs running across platforms.​
Pre-empting perennial questions about how he and his team decide what goes on linear vs. streaming, Erwich said, “I had one resolution this year, and it’s to get people thinking differently on this topic. It’s not one versus the other. Versus implies an opposition or comparison. These are complementary platforms which reach two very different types of viewers and they’re non-duplicative.”​
2024 3:26pm​
Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group, at the Television Critics AssociationÕs Winter Press Tour on Saturday, February 10. Disney/PictureGroup​
Once the 800 lb gorillas of television viewing, the broadcast networks have seen their statute diminished, with viewing migrating to streaming. The heads of two of the Big 3 broadcast networks now also oversee original programming for the sibling streamer, including Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich who is in charge of content for ABC, Hulu Originals as well as Freeform and Disney Branded Television.​
In his opening remarks at TCA Saturday, Erwich argued about the value of programs running across platforms.​
Pre-empting perennial questions about how he and his team decide what goes on linear vs. streaming, Erwich said, “I had one resolution this year, and it’s to get people thinking differently on this topic. It’s not one versus the other. Versus implies an opposition or comparison. These are complementary platforms which reach two very different types of viewers and they’re non-duplicative.”​
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Touting the combined reach of Disney’s linear networks and streaming platforms, which he said generated market-leading nearly 54 billion hours of viewing in the U.S. in 2023, 10 billion more viewing hours than the company’s closest competitor, Erwich said that Grey’s Anatomy was Disney+’s #1 show globally in 2023, with over a billion hours streamed. That was before the Grey’s Anatomy library is set to become available on the combined Disney-Hulu app for bundle subscribers and the standalone Hulu platform next month.​
The Rookie, headed into its sixth season on ABC, is the #2 drama on Hulu and has generated more than 500 million hours viewed on the streamer since its 2018 launch, Erwich said.​
“But here’s something you probably didn’t know: nearly half of those hours occurred in just the last year,” he added. “Fans are still discovering that show and will continue for years to come. That’s the staying power of a good drama.”​
For Abbott Elementary, ABC’s #1 current series on Hulu whose audience grew over 30% in its second season, viewing is evenly split between linear and streaming, Erwich said, adding, “This is a show for everyone. Older audiences watch it on ABC. Younger audiences watch it on Hulu, highlighting the complementary nature of these platforms.”​
ABC earlier today gave the award-winning comedy an early Season 4 renewal.​
Erwich then spoke of the recent ABC run of Season 1 of Hulu’s hit mystery comedy series Only Murders In the Building, calling the results “fantastic.”​
“On linear, the series has reached over 11 million unique viewers, most of whom had never watched the show previously,” he said. “But the impact on streaming was even greater. Many of those ABC viewers migrated over to Hulu to continue watching the series. In January alone, first streams of Only Murders on Hulu increased +40% and hours streamed rose 39%. Again, underscoring how these platforms are additive and complementary to one another.”​
Later during the Q&A portion of the presentation, Erwich hinted that more Only Murders may be coming to ABC. The series was recently renewed for a fourth season on Hulu.​
ABC had already announced that the premiere of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor was ABC’s most watched unscripted series episode ever on Hulu and that the entire season reached more than 43 million viewers across all platforms.​
Erwich today added that “over a third of the audience on Hulu was new to the franchise and had never previously watched any Bachelor series at all.”​
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster


 

Disney Irish

Premium Member
If it wasn't already apparent that Disney is all-in on DTC/Streaming with D+, and in a move that should surprise no one, Disney Movie Club is shutting down as of May 20th -

 

DCBaker

Premium Member
If it wasn't already apparent that Disney is all-in on DTC/Streaming with D+, and in a move that should surprise no one, Disney Movie Club is shutting down as of May 20th -


Related -

“Disney is outsourcing a big piece of its home entertainment division to Sony Pictures Entertainment, which will manufacture, distribute and market the Mouse House’s DVDs and Blu-ray discs and other physical media.

As part of the deal, Sony will market, sell and distribute all Disney’s new releases and catalog titles on physical media to consumers through retailers and distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Disney will continue to manage its own digital media, like premium video-on-demand.

It’s unclear if this will result in layoffs at Disney. However, the studio is expected to conduct an internal assessment across all business functions that support physical entertainment amid the transition to Sony, according to sources familiar with the agreement.

According to Disney, the licensing model allows the studio to continue to offer films and TV shows through physical retailers and to respond to consumer demand more efficiently. The company said the shift is consistent with strategies it’s implemented companywide, as well as transitions in other markets.“

More at the link below.

 

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
If it wasn't already apparent that Disney is all-in on DTC/Streaming with D+, and in a move that should surprise no one, Disney Movie Club is shutting down as of May 20th -


It is being reported that Disney is outsourcing physical media production.

So the closure of Disney Movie Club is not necessarily solely due to a focus on streaming, but in part because someone else will be selling physical movies on their behalf.

This could result in an increase in physical media output. It could also be status quo.

 

Disney Irish

Premium Member
It is being reported that Disney is outsourcing physical media production.

So the closure of Disney Movie Club is not necessarily solely due to a focus on streaming, but in part because someone else will be selling physical movies on their behalf.

This could result in an increase in physical media output. It could also be status quo.

Yes, @DCBaker just posted the same thing. However with that said it shouldn't be assumed this could increase physical media, or even keep the status quo, as physical media sales still goes down every year. So this to me is more a stop gap measure until they finally pull the trigger on stopping all physical media production.

And the reason why I say that is because most of the big box stores have stopped selling physical media. As the article I posted stated, Walmart and Amazon are some of the last places left to get physical media. And Walmart is already in talks to offload their physical media to another company also.
 

tanc

Well-Known Member
I never liked DMC, they had so many club exclusive releases and the pricing was ridiculous. Good riddance, feel sorry for all the people losing jobs though.
 

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
Yes, @DCBaker just posted the same thing. However with that said it shouldn't be assumed this could increase physical media, or even keep the status quo, as physical media sales still goes down every year. So this to me is more a stop gap measure until they finally pull the trigger on stopping all physical media production.

And the reason why I say that is because most of the big box stores have stopped selling physical media. As the article I posted stated, Walmart and Amazon are some of the last places left to get physical media. And Walmart is already in talks to offload their physical media to another company also.

It could go either way. It certainly signals that Disney isn't abandoning physical media completely.

These things also ebb and flow. Who would have thought that vinyl would be big again? Maybe as high end 4K TVs become commonplace people will start to see the improved quality that comes with physical media.
 

Disney Irish

Premium Member
It could go either way. It certainly signals that Disney isn't abandoning physical media completely.

These things also ebb and flow. Who would have thought that vinyl would be big again? Maybe as high end 4K TVs become commonplace people will start to see the improved quality that comes with physical media.
I understand this is a touchy subject for some people. But in reality physical media sales are on a continual decline yearly and don't show signs up improving. Now maybe all of a sudden things turn around, but I seriously doubt it. It'll probably end up becoming a collectors market just like vinyl.

Anyways all I was really pointing out in my original post was that Disney is ending its movie club, didn't say anything about any other physical media sales. But it is clear that Disney is seeing the end of physical media coming sooner rather than later as they already ended all sales in Australia and New Zealand, and I suspect other regions soon.
 

Sharon&Susan

Well-Known Member
Related -

“Disney is outsourcing a big piece of its home entertainment division to Sony Pictures Entertainment, which will manufacture, distribute and market the Mouse House’s DVDs and Blu-ray discs and other physical media.

As part of the deal, Sony will market, sell and distribute all Disney’s new releases and catalog titles on physical media to consumers through retailers and distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Disney will continue to manage its own digital media, like premium video-on-demand.

It’s unclear if this will result in layoffs at Disney. However, the studio is expected to conduct an internal assessment across all business functions that support physical entertainment amid the transition to Sony, according to sources familiar with the agreement.

According to Disney, the licensing model allows the studio to continue to offer films and TV shows through physical retailers and to respond to consumer demand more efficiently. The company said the shift is consistent with strategies it’s implemented companywide, as well as transitions in other markets.“

More at the link below.

Barnes and Noble is also expanding their Disney home video sections in their stores:
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster



 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster

 

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