Disney+ doesn’t launch for another two months, but it’s now available for pre-order.
The highly anticipated Disney-owned streaming service is now selling a $6.99 per month package and a $69.99 yearly plan, both of which come with a free 7-day free trial. Disney+ launches on November 12. Customers who pre-order the service won’t be able to watch until then.
But the $12.99-per-month bundle that includes Hulu and ESPN+ won’t be available for purchase until the November launch date, the website said.
The service launched in beta earlier this month in the Netherlands. Disney+ will be available in Canada on the same date as the United States and will launch a week later in the Australia and New Zealand.
The eagerly anticipated streaming service is loaded with familiar content in an attempt to take on Netflix. It will be the exclusive home for Marvel, “Star Wars,” Disney Animation and Pixar content. Original content, like a “High School Musical” series, will also be produced for it.
The direct-to-consumer business has been a boon for Disney. Growth in that sector lifted Disney’s overall revenue 33% from the prior year, up to $20.2 billion, the company announced in its most recent earnings report.
Disney expects to amass between 60 to 90 million global subscribers for the streaming service by 2025.
Streaming and distribution is transforming media.
Apple’s streaming offering, Apple TV+, will also launch in November. WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company, is launching HBO Max next year. And last month, CBS and Viacom announced that they are merging to become ViacomCBS. The deal puts some of the biggest brands in entertainment, such as Paramount, MTV and Showtime, back under one corporate banner.
