By Nothing is better than when two giant companies go at it. It’s generally more prudent to focus on how companies are treating their customers because we’re real people who feel the effects the most when a business makes a big decision. If the biggest streaming service in the world joins a boneheaded organization, it’s important for us to know so we can anticipate any potential changes, good or bad. However, company on company fighting is so much more fun (and less depressing,) and two of the biggest juggernauts in entertainment, Netflix and Disney, have kicked off their streaming showdown.
While discussing better than expected quarterly profits, Disney CEO Big Bob Iger stated that the upcoming Captain Marvel movie will exclusively appear on its upcoming streaming service, Disney+. Netflix will be left out in the cold, and Disney’s seems to be committing to streaming quite strongly now, as CFO Christine McCarthy says that this move will lose them about $150 million in revenue from lost licensing fees.
It’s an uphill battle, even for Disney, because of Netflix’s unsurpassed, $15 billion streaming dominance, but the House of Mouse is prepared to fight. Along with big movies, Disney has been cultivating its streaming service for sports (whatever those are,) and may even be planning on taking ABC shows like Grey’s Anatomy off Netflix as well, which basically means the fight is on.
I live for this kind of competition. Usually companies can throw their weight around to force us little guys to submit to their whims, so it’s nice every once in a while to see a couple giants come to blows, inevitably trying to entice the consumer with better deals and perks. Additionally, the beginning of this corporate jockeying has made Captain Marvel an incredibly important movie, both economically and culturally. Obviously Disney+ won’t live or die by its success, but it could serve as a potent bellwether for present and future Disney success. Not too bad for a character that was all but unknown to the general public a couple years ago.
Disney Says ‘Captain Marvel’ Will Be First Pic Held Back From Netflix, Expects $150M Profit Hit In 2019 – [Deadline]