Disney+ streaming service launch date, price, international details

There’s been a lot of excitement building about Walt Disney’s upcoming streaming service, Disney+. Since the company provided details during its investor day in April, fans and investors alike have been eagerly awaiting the latest entrant into the streaming wars.

The Disney-branded service is scheduled to debut on Nov. 12 for $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year, in the U.S. Aside from that, however, the company had provided broad estimates about the remainder of the global launch, saying only that the service would begin to roll out in Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region shortly after its debut in North America. 

On Monday, the company shared some additional details about the international launch.

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Much of North America and more

Disney+ will debut in Canada and the Netherlands on Nov. 12, the same day it is first available in the U.S. The streaming service will launch one week later, on Nov. 19, in Australia and New Zealand.  

The cost in Canada will be 8.99 Canadian dollars per month or CA$89.99 per year, and 6.99 euros per month or 69.99 euros per year in the Netherlands. In the Southern Hemisphere, the service will be priced at 8.99 Australian dollars per month (or AU$89.99 per year) and 9.99 New Zealand dollars per month (or NZ$99.99 per year).

The House of Mouse said Disney+ will be available on “nearly all major mobile and connected TV devices at launch,” and it said it had global distribution agreements in place with Apple, Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Roku and Sony. The company also provided a list of compatible devices that will support Disney+ at launch:

• Apple (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple TV, and full integration with the Apple TV app; customers can subscribe to Disney+ via in-app purchase)
• Google (Android phones, Android TV devices, Google Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices)
• Microsoft (Xbox One)
• Sony/Sony Interactive Entertainment (all Android-based Sony TVs and PlayStation 4)
• Roku (Roku streaming players and Roku TV models)

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Entering a crowded field

Much has been made of Disney’s entry into the streaming space, which is currently dominated by Netflix, but also includes other major players like Amazon.com’s Prime Video and Disney-controlled Hulu. Disney+ will include a host of movies and television shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, making it an immediate contender.

Disney recently turned heads when it announced that it would offer a subscription bundle that would include Disney+, ESPN+, and the ad-supported version of Hulu for $12.99 in the U.S – the same price as Netflix’s most popular plan. The bundle will give viewers access to sports programming, the library of content from Disney, as well as original programming and broadcast shows from Hulu.

This comes at a time when investors are wondering if we have reached peak Netflix. The streaming giant recently suffered a rare decline in U.S. subscriber growth. It had forecast 5 million paid member additions but added only 2.7 million during the second quarter. Even more concerning for investors was the loss of about 130,000 U.S. subscribers. Netflix said the recent price increase, combined with a weaker second-quarter content slate, contributed to the slower growth. 

Playing to win

While the competition continues to ramp up in streaming, Disney is one of the few companies with the intellectual property library and the resources to become an immediate contender in the space. The latest details show that Disney is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to get its rightful share of the over-the-top market.

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Danny Vena owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Roku, and Walt Disney and has the following options: long January 2021 $190 calls on Apple, short January 2021 $195 calls on Apple, and long January 2021 $85 calls on Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Roku, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2021 $60 calls on Walt Disney, short October 2019 $125 calls on Walt Disney, long January 2021 $85 calls on Microsoft, short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple, long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple, short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple, and long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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