The Walt Disney Company vowed to change the streaming service game with the launch of Disney+, but so far, they've yet to deliver on their promises. Aside from Disney's own back catalog, the programming stems from studios such as Disney Animation, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, National Geographic, 20th Century Fox (now just 20th Century), and others. But original content is what keeps subscribers interested, and that's something that Disney+ is seriously lacking.
Disney+ launched in November 2019 with over 7,000 TV episodes and 500 movie titles available from the start. That might sound impressive, but the vast majority is aimed at young viewers as the company is focusing on a family-oriented entertainment option. Despite the targeted demographic, Disney+ is looking to compete with streaming heavy hitters like Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as upcoming services like HBO Max.
Every streaming service to date has experienced growing pains and Disney+ is no different. Even with the criticisms, they set the bar very high with The Mandalorian, the service's first scripted Star Wars series. But since then, subscribers have found themselves trying to scrounge up reasons to keep their subscription. New content is still very much a concern for the newcomer but so is the kind of content featured on the service. Disney+ wants to keep up with the family-friendly image, but so far, they're struggling with identity and how to present it to viewers without mixed messages.
Ahead of Disney+'s big launch in 2019, the streaming service put a lot of effort into advertising the hundreds of titles available on Day One. Of course, the majority of those TV programs and movies that made up Disney's hefty back catalog were predominantly animated classics and live-action Disney Channel series aimed at the younger audience. The Fox acquisition, as well as ownership of Star Wars and Marvel properties, is helping entice potential subscribers, but many have their sights set on Disney+'s brand-new original series. Months have passed since Disney+ went public and original content is still a letdown.
To date, Disney+ has only debuted three original scripted series and four movies with another, Stargirl, on the way in March. Out of all the original titles, The Mandalorian is the true shining star that gave viewers a reason to subscribe. The Star Wars-centric series not only became an immediate hit, but it also introduced the world to Baby Yoda. Disney+ set the bar very high with The Mandalorian, so it makes sense why subscribers are less than disappointed by the recent, or lack thereof, content.
In addition to original scripted titles, Disney+ has been releasing short series, documentaries, and nonfiction series but none of the titles are groundbreaking enough to garner ample advertising or word of mouth. The streaming service still seems to be honing in on promoting future content or nostalgia-driven interest. Until Disney+ consistently churns out original content, it will be unable to go head to head with big-name streaming services after losing momentum.
As of now, the upcoming shows are more appealing than the original movies set to premiere on Disney+. It's certainly no surprise why Disney spent so much time and effort in revealing their big titles on the way even if they are a year or two away. Considering, however, Disney+'s slate has been publicized years prior to the launch, it's surprising the service doesn't have at least one more elite title ready to go in the first few months. Star Wars fans are enjoying the release of The Clone Wars season 7, but the first batch of episodes are just finished versions of story reels that released in 2015. Fans already know what happens. And what about the non-Lucasfilm audience?
Next to Star Wars, Disney+'s Marvel slate remains the most anticipated. Unfortunately, the first installments tied into the MCU are both a ways off. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to debut in August whereas WandaVision is gearing up for a December release. This is a very long time to wait for the viewers who subscribed strictly for the service's advertised Marvel content. Aside from big franchises, Disney+ has several other enticing projects in development. Among the list is a Mighty Ducks series, a project based on The Sandlot, and a continuation of Willow. Again, many of the future slate has been rumored well before Disney+'s launch and if they do come to fruition, they won't be released until 2021 or later. With so much hype surrounding the streaming service, one would think Disney might have planned better when it came to preparing major releases within the first year.
The fact that Disney+ needs time to fully establish itself is understandable. This occurred for all of the preceding services, but at the same time, Disney had the advantage of studying the strengths and weaknesses of past streamers. One aspect they should be fully aware of staying away from is the delay or cancellation of programs that they actively used in promoting the service prior to its launch. Disney+ has a tendency of using certain titles in marketing campaigns or throwing out timelines, encouraging potential subscribers to hop on the early subscription deals. But instead of delivering, Disney+ is already showing a habit of false advertising.
The long-awaited Obi-Wan TV show is suffering from production woes. Many fans are even convinced the project will never see the light of day. Book of Enchantment, a show based on a popular book series, was even canceled before it even went into development. In addition, there's the case of shows like High Fidelity and Love, Victor, which were originally set for Disney+, but have since found new homes on Hulu. On the surface, this may seem like no big deal but with Love, Victor specifically, it points to a much larger problem with Disney+.
High Fidelity moved to Hulu since it was a more appropriate home with a series with more mature content. That's understandable since Disney skews more towards the younger viewers, but times have changed. Disney is now the owner of major franchises and Fox titles that cater to other age groups. With this enormous umbrella, Disney+ must figure out what kind of content is allowed on their service, but right now, it's sending mixed messages.
A year ago, Disney+ awarded a straight-to-series order to a spinoff of 2018's teen rom-com Love, Simon. Fans of the film were eager to see a series based on the title since it focused on a gay protagonist and would bring more LGBTQ+ representation to the platform. Just recently, Disney decided to move Love, Victor to Hulu, claiming it's not family-friendly enough for Disney+. The news is gaining a lot of criticism stemming from the service trying to censor a gay-centric storyline. Similarly, the Lizzie McGuire revival is now stuck in limbo as production halted when the showrunner exited the Disney+ series. Series star, Hilary Duff is hoping the show moves to Hulu so that it could feature more mature content.
These issues are unearthing a bigger underlying problem with Disney+ when it comes to censorship. They seem to be okay with violence through Star Wars and Marvel but when it comes to love and relationships, Disney doesn't have any kind of standards set. That said, they still greenlight and advertise shows like Love, Victor and Lizzie McGuire but move them to another service out of the reach of many subscribers or stick them in developmental hell. Disney+ needs to understand that viewers of all ages want new content and there are ways to deliver without tarnishing the entire brand. Parental controls are a viable option or possibly making it more clear what kind of content is allowed well before projects are publicized. Until then, more and more people might be steering away from the House of Mouse when it comes to streaming.
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