Disney+ will cost more than streaming wars competitor Apple TV+, so it's not surprising that Disney CEO Bob Iger has thoughts on the competitive pricing situation. Is he concerned about how it will affect Disney’s big streaming gambit? Iger has spoken!
First things first, the pricing wars! Disney+ will cost $6.99 per month, which is pretty affordable for everything the streamer will offer. The price tag for a one-year subscription rings up to be one cent shy of $70 with those opting for the plan. Apple TV+ will cost subscribers the incredibly low price of $5 a month.
A recent survey hinted that Disney+ has nothing to worry about from the competition. Consumers have reportedly indicated that Disney+ is the most-wanted new streaming service. Is Apple TV+’s competitive pricing cause for any concern for Disney’s streamer? Speaking to the pricing point situation with Apple TV+, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC:
We’re not really worried about competition in terms of pricing because we have such a unique product. We’re very, very different than any other service that is out there.
How is Disney+ “very, very different” from Apple TV+ and its other competitors? Well, along the lines of what Bob Iger went on to tease, Disney has an entire vault of content that it will make available to subscribers. It is not just resting on all of that pre-existing entertainment either. There is the live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian and a slew of Marvel series, to name only some.
Will people be willing to pay the extra money to get Disney+ instead of Apple TV+? Or will they subscribe to both and just keep adding new services? Obviously, it is going to get expensive to subscribe to every streaming service under the sun, especially as more continue to enter the fray. Disney+ and Apple TV+ are setting themselves up as being affordable.
Disney+ and Apple TV+’s most formidable competition, Netflix, ranges in price from $9 to $16 depending on the plan. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video is sticking with $9 per month, as Hulu keeps its pricing within $6 to $12. Disney+ and Apple TV+’s prices are great now, but what about the future?
What happens when subscribers get hooked on all the content and then have to deal with a price increase? Disney is reportedly spending a lot of money on its Star Wars and Marvel shows, and it is not alone. One Apple TV+ drama is among the most expensive TV shows ever.
Disney is clearly not taking the competition on without exerting a little caution. The entertainment giant has reportedly banned Netflix ads from ABC and its other networks. Is that a sign it feels a bit threatened by the long-standing streaming titan?
Disney will be going toe-to-toe with Apple TV+ without Netflix’s binge model and with stricter policies on password sharing. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ will deliver an exciting thriller and a post-apocalyptic series, among many other offerings. Who will win the streaming wars? Viewers.
Disney+ launches November 12 in the United States. Apple TV+ will make its debut over a week earlier on November 1. If you need new television content now, check out this fall’s premieres.
