COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU
Disney+ streaming service to launch in Canada in November.
Disney said Monday that its long-awaited streaming service, Disney+, will be available in several countries in November and accessible on a wide variety of devices.
On Nov. 12, consumers will be able to access Disney+ in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands. A week later, Disney+ will launch in Australia and New Zealand, the company said in a statement.
The service will be available through an app on a variety of devices, including smartphones and connected TV devices made by Apple and Google. It can also be accessed on Microsoft’s gaming console Xbox One, Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Android TVs, as well as Roku TVs and streaming players.
Many companies that sell streaming services see Disney as a formidable competitor to Netflix. Disney, with a treasure trove of family-friendly movies and shows, has already come out with an aggressive price strategy and will make Disney+ a home for many of its titles.
In its first year, the streaming service will have100 recent theatrical releases, 400 older films and more than 7,500 television episodes. Disney+ will be the exclusive place to stream Toy Story 4, The Lion King and Star Wars movies.
In the U.S., Disney+ will cost $6.99 a month. In Canada, monthly subscriptions for Disney+ will be $8.99.
Already, some competitors such as Amazon have made a shift in their programming before the launch. Amazon has signalled to producers it is no longer interested in developing original animated shows aimed at young children, people familiar with the matter said.
Instead, it will focus on shows that families can view together and content for young adults.