Disney Pulls Netflix Content To Start Own Streaming Service

Disney is to start its own streaming services and pull its movies from Netflix. But there’s some question over whether Marvel content will be part of the move.

The plan is for two standalone services. One would be an ESPN sports service and the other would carry movies and TV shows, based largely or wholly on Disney-owned content. It’s a big move as it implies Disney believes they’d make more money from offering the shows directly to consumers – complete with the associated infrastructure costs – than they are getting in licensing fees from Netflix.

Disney has confirmed that it won’t renew its existing movie deal with Netflix. That means movies released in theaters this year and next year will later be shown on Netflix. Theatrical releases from 2019 on can be shown on the new Disney service along with its back catalog.

The Disney service will also include original content. Some or even most of this could be based on the various franchises Disney now owns after buying out the likes of Pixar and Lucasfilm, so we could be looking at new Star Wars-related shows.

Different sources have conflicting reports about the Marvel TV shows created for Netflix. It appears these are part of a separate deal to movies and that Disney hasn’t yet decided what it will do when that deal runs out.

Disney also announced it is paying $1.56 billion to up its stake in streaming media tech company BAMTech from 33 percent to 75 percent. That’s the company that handles the streaming for HBO and several major sports services.

The announcements follow some speculation that Disney might buy out Netflix, though it seems much of that was based on the idea it would make sense rather than any specific insider news.