A Month Into Its Launch, Disney Reveals Its Long Range Prowess as Disney+ Ties Into Theme Parks and More

With 10 million downloads on launch day Nov 12th, Disney+ offers a sweeping challenge to its primary competitor, Netflix

Disney+ Ties into the Company’s Rich History of Storytelling, its Theme Parks, Live Entertainment and More

Disney stands apart from other streaming services in offering theme parks and live entertainment for consumers directly that tie into its new video streaming service, Disney+. Guests who visit Walt Disney World Resort in Florida can enjoy live shows and entertainment from DJ dance parties to kid parties, costumes, photo ops, themed food and beverage, and unique merchandising for original shows such as The Mandalorian at Keystone Clothiers, Star Wars Launch Bay and Tatooine Traders at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. New guests and existing fans of Disney can also sign up for Disney+ at any of its theme parks or stores. www.disneyplus.com

“Disney Plus is the future of our company.”

— Disney

Disney also offers new videos sharing the company’s history of original storytelling and its founder, Walt Disney’s vision.

“There’s no real secret about our approach. We keep moving forward.”

— Walt Disney, founder of Disney

Ad-Free and Affordable with 10 Million Downloads on Launch Day

Unlike the video streaming platforms Hulu and ESPN+, both of which Disney has a stake in, Disney+ is completely ad-free. Back in April of this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared more specifics about Disney+, the company’s new online video streaming service at the end of the investor call.

Disney+ is not the company’s first streaming platform as the company already successfully launched ESPN+, the sports-centric video streaming service earlier this year in April, built on technology developed by BAMTech, an arm of the Major League Baseball Advanced Media www.mlb.com that develops direct-to-consumer streaming technology.

Hot on the heels of Apple TV+ launch on November 1st and premiering at $7/month on November 12th of this year, Disney+ secured over ten million downloads on launch day — an unparalleled feat for any online video streaming service and outperforming analyst expectations by over two million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Disney+ offers a seven-day free trial before payment commences. The service is a discount compared to Netflix’s lowest tier that starts at $9/month.

After demand exceeded expectations, Disney+ suffered some launch problems such as slowed streaming and users being pushed out of the app for several hours — something that did not go unnoticed by rivals in the increasingly competitive online video streaming direct to consumer space. Nonetheless, this is expected to be remedied and managed well as the company’s new service continues to expand to households worldwide. HBO Max from AT&T and Peacock from Comcast also debuted soon after Disney+, showing how eager companies are to offer consumers direct entertainment online. Despite its technical glitches and its entry into an increasingly crowded space of entertainment options, Disney+ stands apart because of its large content library of original content, existing popularity, global reach and scale. To put it in perspective, HBO Now took three years to reach 5 million subscribers — something Disney+ achieved in half a day on launch.

Verizon has also offered a full year of free Disney+ service to all subscribers on its unlimited plan. Ronan Dunne, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, reported that Verizon has approximately 100 million total wireless subscribers, of which half — 50 million — are on unlimited plans, according to Variety.

Impressive Lineup of Content: Exclusive Home of Disney Favorites, New Movies and Shows, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic

With almost 500 movies and 7,500 original shows, Disney+ comes in strong with a massive content library that includes both new and old Disney favorites previously not available on streaming networks, new movies and original shows in development and the full catalog of original content from its acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

While the entire catalog of each entertainment brand in the Disney portfolio is not available immediately as some still have existing contracts with Netflix that will expire in three years, Disney+ does include popular favorites like the entire first two Star Wars trilogies and the newer movies “Force Awakens” and “Rogue One” as well as Marvel’s “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Also with its acquisition of Fox, Disney now is the sole distributor of “The Simpsons” series.

Disney+ Worldwide Rollout In Stages

Disney+ will roll out worldwide in stages, as revealed during its investor call over the next two years.

Currently, Disney+ is available in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands. Disney+ will launch in Western Europe on March 31st. This includes the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and other areas. The service is slated to roll out in Eastern Europe and Latin America starting in October 2020 and in Asia Pacific in progressive stages over the next two years.

The Mandalorian: A New Era for Star Wars

Disney+ offers an original spin-off from the Star Wars franchise with “The Mandalorian,” written and produced by Jon Favreau, known for “Ironman” and “The Lion King.” Each episode has a different director. “The Mandalorian” is a story about a lone gunfighter in a lawless galaxy. It also introduces a baby Yoda character, who has already stolen hearts all over the Internet, propelling searches for baby Yoda toys right before Christmas. Baby Yoda not only appeals to fans of the adult Yoda created by Daniel Oz in the original Star War series, but has enthralled new audiences in a charming way that only Yoda can.

How to Stream Disney+

Disney offers many ways to stream its new popular video service via smartphones, tablets, computers, connected TVs and also streaming media. The company has agreements in place with numerous tech companies such as Apple, Google and Microsoft as well as TV and streaming media service companies such as Sony and Roku. Disney also has recently expanded Disney+ to Amazon, Samsung and LG. Thus you can watch Disney+ using any of these methods below:

Roku's boxes, sticks and TVs
Apple TV, iPhone and iPad
Smartphones and TVs running on Android operating systems and Chromecast streamers
Xbox One
PlayStation 4
Amazon Fire TV devices
Samsung smart TVs
LG smart TVs

Product Features

Disney + offers features such as:

streaming 4K Ultra HD content in Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Dolby Atmos immersive audio
simultaneous streaming to 4 devices
creation of 7 user profiles for 1 account with over 200 avatars available
unlimited mobile downloads for offline viewing for up to 10 mobile devices
English, Spanish, French and Dutch at launch with audio support and subtitles
support for closed captioning, descriptive audio and navigation assistance for subscribers with disabilities

Every week, we’ll feature an in-depth review of one Disney+ original show, allowing for at least five to five episodes to be live first, before we offer any perspective on it. Enjoy! In the meantime, go ahead and sign up for Disney+ at www.disneyplus.com and try it out for the first week. Share your feedback or ideas you want to share about this post at hello@elf.agency.

All the New Original TV Shows Apple Is Developing - Part 1

Here’s a look at all the original shows that Apple has given the green light to, spending over $1 billion in high-quality TV programming expected to air as early as April 2019.

Apple has expanded beyond its first TV shows, Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke to now include full-length dramatic series in a variety of genres and voices, pulling from both famous and lesser known talent, favorites at Sundance and more. Below we have taken a closer look, starting with the most recently discussed shows and working backwards. This list is current as of March 19, 2019.

1. Jan 2019: Sci-Fi Series with Simon Kinberg and David Weil

Apple has approved the development of a ten-episode big budget science fiction series by Simon Kinberg and David Weil. While the name of the new series is yet to be announced, the sci-fi television show will be produced by Platform One. The story is expected to be character-driven with casting underway currently and production to begin this summer. Kinberg is known for his work on The Martian, Deadpool and X-Men movies, including its most recent film, “Dark Phoenix” (2019). Weil is lesser known, and currently working on “The Hunt,” an Amazon drama about New York City Nazi hunters set in 1977.

2. Jan 2019: “Hala”

Sundance Institute via Variety — Sundance Institute via *Variety*

According to Variety, Apple has apparently acquired the rights to the coming of age drama “Hala,” produced by Jada Pinkett-Smith that premiered at Sundance. Hala is the story of a 17-year-old young woman, played by Geraldine Viswanathan, growing up in a Muslim household and attends a modern high school in Chicago, Illinois. Minhal Baig wrote and directed the drama.

3. Dec 2018: Justin Lin's Perfect Storm Entertainment

Known for reviving the Fast and Furious franchise, director Justin Lin has signed a deal with Apple according to Variety to produce content, although terms of the deal and the subject matter remain unknown. Lin has six years of experience at Sony Television and has directed the pilots for several television shows such as Magnum P.I., S.W.A.T. and Scorpion.

4. Dec 2018: Peanuts

Charlie Brown and Snoopy fans will be glad to hear that Apple’s developing some new shows and shorts based on the popular Peanuts characters, according to Deadline. Apple is collaborating with DHX Media, the company that owns Peanuts Worldwide. One of the projects includes a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) special with Snoopy as an astronaut. Peanuts Worldwide also is working with NASA to promote STEM and space concepts to students.

5. Dec 2018: “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends”

Credit: Jordan Strauss, Invision, AP, Rex, Shutterstock

According to Variety, Apple has ordered a limited series with Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams as executive producer. The pair are known for their TV collaboration for the “Alias” series, which made Garner a household name. The new show revolves around the life of Amy Silverstein who was undergoing a second heart transplant and is supported by several women. Silverstein wrote a memoir about her experience in 2017, which is the main inspiration for the new show. Warner Bros. Television and J.J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot are producing the show along with support from Silverstein, Ben Stephenson and Karen Croner.

6. Dec 2018: “Nevelot”

Image of Richard Gere in 2011 film shooting of Arbitrage, by Bobby Banks for Wire Image & Getty Images.

CNBC reported that Apple is in discussion to acquire the rights for “Nevelot,” an Israeli drama starring Richard Gere with "Law and Order: SVU" showrunner Warren Leight as director and "Homeland" producer Howard Gordon as producer. The show is expected to be co-produced by Apple and 21st century Fox, which is now owned by Disney. This show is a marked difference from other Apple shows by depicting violent scenes.

7. Dec 2018: 30-Minute Thriller Episode Series with M. Night Shyamalan

Known for his intriguing and very popular movies, The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan has also had several large-scale failures such as The Happening and The Last Airbender. The new show is a psychological thriller that will be spread across ten 30-minute episodes. Shyamalan is developing the show with Tony Basgallop, according to Deadline. One of the primary characters, Sean Turner is played by Toby Kebbell, who gained acclaim for his roles in Kong: Skull Island and the Planet of the Apes series. His romantic interest Dorothy will be played by Lauren Ambrose, known for "Six Feet Under.” Rupert Grint, notorious for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series, plays Dorothy’s brother.

First announced in February 2018, the new show remains shrouded in some mystery. Tony Basgallop is the lead writer, known for "24: Legacy," "Inside Men," and "EastEnders." Additional support comes from executive producers Jason Blumenthal, Todd Black and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists production company and Taylor Latham as executive producer.

8. Dec 2018: Amazing Stories

ct-ent-ed-burns-tv-series-chicago-crime-0729-20170728.jpg

With production started in Atlanta, Amazing Stories is a reboot of the Steven Spielberg fantasy, sci-fi and horror series and features Edward Burns of “Public Morals” as a government agent, Bill Kaminiski. Showrunners include Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who are working alongside Amblin Television, Spielberg’s production company. The new ten-episode series has a budget of $5 million allocated per episode and is expected to have some similarities to the popular suspense TV series The Twilight Zone, according to the Wall Street Journal.

9. Dec 2018: “Swagger”

Apple has placed an order for a dramatic series “Swagger,” based on basketball player Durant’s experience in basketball as part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) league that is focused around the interactions among players, coaches and their families in Washington, D.C. Produced by CBS, Imagine Television operated by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and Durant's Thirty Five Ventures, the show will be creatively run by Reggie Rock Bythewood, known for "Shots Fired" and the B.I.G. biopic “Notorious." Durant will also serve as executive producer, according to Variety.

10. Oct 2018: Untitled morning show drama

Word that Apple had placed an initial order for two seasons for an untitled morning show drama based on the Brian Stelter novel Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, spread in November 2017. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are expected to both star in and serve as executive producer for the series, which is being produced by Jay Carson, known for Netflix’s "House of Cards” series.

In the late fall of 2018, more knowledge about the series surfaced. According to Variety, Steve Carell, famous for his performances in "The Office” comedy TV series and the movie, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, will star as Mitch Kessler, a morning show anchor who is struggling to remain relevant in today’s news media. This will be Carell’s first major TV series appearance since the "The Office.”

Variety also reports that Billy Crudup will be joining the show as Cory Ellison, the president of a network news division, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star as Hannah Shoenfeld, the lead talent recruiter.

Known for “Shameless" and "The Leftovers” TV series, Deep Impact and Pay It Forward, Mimi Leder will be directing the new dramatic series. Kerry Ehrin will serve as executive producer. The show will provide "an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the women and men who carry out this daily televised ritual,” according to Variety.

11. Oct 2018: Carpool Karaoke

In February of 2018, Apple renewed its popular Carpool Karaoke series for a second season. These episodes are now available thorugh the Apple TV app in addition to being on Apple Music. The Apple TV app is available on iPhones, iPads, and the Apple TV.

The second season premiered October 12 with new episodes expected every Friday. Guests include Snoop Dogg, Weird Al Yankovic, Andy Samberg, Nick Offerman and Matthew McConaughey.

12. Sept 2018: “Defending Jacob”

Apple has acquired the rights to the series "Defending Jacob" based on the bestselling novel by the same name, according to Variety. The show will star Chris Evans, known for his titular role as Capital America. Evans is expected to play the role of the father in the TV series whose 14-year-old son is accused of murder. Mark Bomback who is known for writing the scripts for both War for the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will act as showrunner and writer.

13. Aug 2018: “Dickinson”

First announced in May 2018, “Dickinson” is a new 30-minute comedy series centered around the life of former poet, Emily Dickinson. The story is set to examine the 19th century world of Dickinson from a comedic angle and will star Hailee Steinfeld as Emily, according to Variety. Steinfield is known for movies such as True Grit and Pitch Perfect. This would be her first TV series. Jane Krakowski famous for "30 Rock,” will star as Emily’s mother. David Gordon Green is director and executive producer while Alena Smith will write and executive produce. Additional production support will come from Darlene Hunt, Alex Goldstone from Anonymous Content and Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta via Sugar23 Productions.

14. Aug 2018: “Foundation”

A collage of covers by Michael Whelan from Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Image: Bantam Books

According to Deadline, Apple has ordered ten episodes of Isaac Asimov’s famous sci-fi epic, “Foundation” adapted by Skydance Television. David Goyer and Josh Friedman will act as executive producers and showrunners. Additional executive producers include Isaac Asimov's daugher, Robyn Asimov, Marcy Ross, David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. While many studios from Fox to Sony and Warner Bros. have wanted to adapt Asimov’s books, none have succeeded in launching a full feature film. Asimov’s work is extensive and the scope of the story has defeated prior producers. The novel Foundation, on which Apple’s new series is based, centers around a psycho-historian who predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire and is concerned about preserving human knowledge.

15. Aug 2018: “Losing Earth”

Image via New York Times Magazine — Image via *New York Times Magazine*

According to the New York Times, Apple purchased the rights to the “Losing Earth” TV series by Anonymous Content, a firm operated by Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Rich and Steve Golin, brothers who helped found the company, will serve as executive producers. The TV series is based on an extensive article of 30,000 words by Nathaniel Rich for the New York Times magazine that took up the whole issue and addresses climate change and activists who attempted to take action before the issue became well known.

16. Aug 2018: Untitled Hilde Lysiak drama

Apple is developing an untitled drama about the life of Hilde Lysiak, a preteenage girl who exposed a murder in the the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania via the local newspaper, the Orange Street News. The fictionalized drama features eight year old actress Brooklynn Prince who won awards for her role as Moonee in The Florida project, according to Variety. In the adaptation, the protagonist, young Brooklyn Prince, moves from Brooklyn to a lakeside town where she exposes a murder that residents including her father, are doing their best to hide. The show is being executive produced by Dana Fox and Dara Resnik, with help from Joy Gorman Wettels and Sharlene Martin, while Jon Chu will direct, under Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.

17. Aug 2018: Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney Comedy Series

its-always-sunny-charlie-day-rob-McElhenney-new-comedy-920x584.jpg

According to Variety, Apple has ordered a half-hour comedy series based in a video game studio, featuring Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney, known for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” as both writer and producer. Ubisoft, the famous gaming publisher, is producing the show in tandem with Lionsgate-3 Arts Entertainment.

18. Aug 2018: “Pachinko”

Based on the popular Min Jin Lee novel, Pachinko, the TV series covers the lives of four generations of a Korean immigrant family, based in Korea, Japan and the U.S. Known for her writing credits on shows like “Under the Dome" and "The Killing,” Soo Hugh serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer, according to Variety. Media Res, a small production company, will handle additional production duties.

19. Aug 2018: “See”

Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Image via Warner Bros.

First announced Jan 2018 as an "epic, world-building drama" set in the future, "See" is one of the most well known of the upcoming Apple projects. The story is written by Steven Knight of "Peaky Blinders" and directed by Francis Lawrence, known for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2. Created by Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content, See was purchased by Apple.

Jason Momoa known for his titular role as Aquaman and as Khal Droga in “Game of Thrones” plays the main character, Baba Voss. Additional cast members include Alfre Woodard, known for her role as Mariah in the Netflix show “Luke Cage,” according to Variety. Woodard will play the role of Paris, an advisor and priestess. Sylvia Hoeks, known for playing Luv in Blade Runner 2049, will play Queen Kane. Archie Madekweas known for his performance in the miniseries adaptation of Les MIserables, will play the role of the son. The series is expected to last for eight episodes.

20. Aug 2018: Ron Moore Space Drama

Back in December of 2017, Variety reported that Apple was developing an untitled Ronald D. Moore space drama set in an alternate timeline where the world was at war in space since the 1960s. Moore is known for producing the "Battlestar Galactica" TV series reboot and "Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Additional production support is expected from Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, known for Fargo, and also Sony Pictures Television and Tall Ship Productions.

Joel Kinnaman, known for Robocop, Michael Dorman of the Amazon series “Patriot” and Sarah Jones of “Damnation” on the USA network, are currently involved in the project, according to Variety.

21. Jul 2018: “Time Bandits”

Image via Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits — Image via Terry Gilliam’s *Time Bandits*

Apple is developing the popular 1980 Terry Gilliam fantasy movie Time Bandits into a show with Gilliam serviing as executive producer, according to Deadline. Co-producers include Anonymous Content, Paramount Television, and Media Rights Capital. The story centers around a young boy who encountrs bandits that are using a map to travel through time and steal loot while being chased by the Supreme Being and encountering numerous characters along the way.

22. Jun 2018: “Calls”

According to Variety, Apple has ordered an English version of the French Language show, “Calls.” The French version consists of real-world audio and images in a short-form series featured on Canal+.

23. Jun 2018: Animated Movie with Cartoon Saloon

Apple is apparently in discussion with Irish studio Cartoon Saloon to produce its own animated movie, according to Bloomberg. Cartoon Saloon is known for movies such as The Secret of Kells, The Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner. Apparently, finalizing a distribution deal is holding up the project. The film may have both a digital release and a theatrical one, and plot details have not yet been shared publicly.

Read Part 2 for the remaining list of expected TV shows and movies on Apple TV.

Apple Will Be Part of the Breakdown of the Cable Bundle, Says Tim Cook

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, announced that Apple plans to participate in changes disrupting the cable bundle with Airplay 2, Original Content, Apps and More.

On Tuesday January 29th, Tim Cook shared some of Apple’s approach to television and original content without offering specific details. Apple’s CEO said that Apple has noticed "huge changes" in customer behavior, which Apple believes will "accelerate as the year goes by." Cook pointed out that Apple expects an accelerated breakdown of the cable bundle.

Apple intends to be part of this change, including the Apple TV that offers app support so that customers can watch television using apps as they wish and with AirPlay2 that will be offering support to third-party television sets, which will make for a “better” living room experience, according to Cook. He also explained that third-party video subscriptions available on the App Store offer Apple a way to "accelerate in the future" and help customers who wish to buy multiple services. Apple is working on its own original content, with some content available for free and other content available via streaming services and its TV app. Apple has also numerous television shows in the works currently and been signing deals with well-known industry talent such as Jason Katims and Justin Lin.

“Finally, original content, where we will participate. We’ve signed a multi-year partnership with Oprah. Today I’m not really ready to extend that conversation beyond that point. We’ve hired some people we have a super amount of confidence in, and they’re working really hard. We’ll have more to say on that later.”

— Tim Cook, Apple CEO

Apple is expected to have its streaming television service available for launch by the middle of April this year.