Disney+ is expanding it’s offering to target more Adults
Laura Behan, AV Account Director
Disney+ launched in the UK in November 2019 with their own version of a streaming platform hosting a huge range of past and present Disney and Marvel content. The subscription service whilst not exclusively kid-focused, catered well to children with its vast back catalogue of child-friendly content. Yesterday saw the launch of their adult-friendly bolt-on, Star.
The UK streaming landscape up until the beginning of 2020 was dominated by two players Netflix and Amazon. Disney+ become a household name in the first COVID lockdown, with over 4m subscribers in the UK added since launch. Disney launched into the UK at a time when parents needed child-friendly, safe TV content for their kids.
The Disney company is much more than Mickey Mouse and princesses, it’s a powerhouse for the production of content. You can already find lots of great Adult content on Disney+ including exclusive National Geographic documentaries. The introduction of Star brings content from Disney Television Studios, FX and 20th Century Studios. The service will launch with new originals including Big Sky (from the team behind the hit HBO series Big Little Lies) and small-screen classics such as Desperate Housewives and Lost.
As the new content isn’t always suitable for younger viewers, Disney have introduced increased parental controls. Subscribers can set limits on access to specific content and add a pin to profiles. Thus keeping their USP as a child safe environment to watch video content.
As of the 23rd February, Star will automatically be available for any existing Disney+ subscriber. Unfortunately, free trials of the service are no longer available. Disney have not yet put a 7-day free trial offer back onto the service following the release of Hamilton in June 2020.
Disney still has a long way to go to catch-up to number one subscription service in the UK, Netflix with its 12.8m subscribers. Some analysts forecast Disney+ will surpass Netflix within 5 years. In the meantime, their intentions are clear: More content and more exclusives to target more audience groups which will hopefully lead to more subscribers.
The UK subscription market continues to grow and our AV specialists at Republic of Media analyse and review the constantly-changing AV landscape. While subscription services don’t currently take advertising, we need to understand how, when and what people are watching to understand their viewing behaviour regardless of the commercial offering. This information allows us to make smarter decisions to ensure client AV advertising cuts through and delivers ROI.
