Disney streaming service: Release date, name, shows and movies to expect and more – CNET

Disney is betting big on its 2019 streaming service.

The company is ending its relationship with Netflix at the end of the year, and will instead make its own service the exclusive home for many Disney movies, TV shows and perhaps other streaming content.

You might be thinking, “No Disney, I don’t want to pay another monthly fee,” but that’s the direction the entertainment business is headed. Netflix seems to trot out original shows and movies on a weekly basis. Hulu (which will be majority-owned by Disney following its acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets) provides a home for many broadcast network shows. CBS is pumping its CBS All Access service full of Star Trek shows and other original programs. (Disclosure: CBS is CNET’s parent company.) And DC Entertainment is soon launching its DC Universe streaming service full of DC shows, movies and comics. 

So is the 2019 Disney streaming service something you should consider? Let’s go over all the details we know here, but the TL:DR is: if you like Star Wars or Marvel, yes.

What is the Disney streaming service and what’s it called?

The Disney streaming service, sometimes referred to as “Disney direct-to-consumer,” will be a competitor to services like Netflix. Customers will be able to subscribe for a yet-to-be announced monthly fee to get access to TV shows, movies and other videos from the wide world of Walt Disney Studios. This means Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, High School Musical and Lady and the Tramp, among many others.

While a name hasn’t been officially announced, a report from Variety briefly suggested it might be called “Disney Play.” Variety since clarified its story to mean Iger described the service as a “Disney play.” (So it’s no longer a proper name.) While it’s a snappy title, we can probably cross that one off the list.

When’s the release date? 

You may be waiting even longer than Avengers 4 for this: Disney says it’s shooting for a release by the end of 2019. 

How much will it cost?

Disney has not yet announced pricing for its streaming service, but expect it to cost less than Netflix. 

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in November 2017 that his company’s service price will be “reflective of the fact that it will have substantially less volume” but plans to make up for it with high-quality programming from across its empire.

Shows and movies: What will I be able to watch?

We don’t really know yet. Will it include ABC or Freeform (previously ABC Family) shows? Will it feature Disney XD cartoons? A lot of questions remain, but we do know some details. For instance, we know the service will include shows and movies such as: 

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars new season (exclusive to this service)
• Marvel movies, starting with 2019’s Captain Marvel
• Star Wars films, starting with 2019’s Episode 9
• A live-action, big-budget Star Wars TV series being developed by Jon Favreau
• An untitled Marvel TV series
• Timmy Failure film directed by Spotlight’s Tom McCarthy
• Lady and the Tramp remake
• The Sword in the Stone remake
• Noelle, a movie starring Anna Kendrick
• Togo, a sled dog movie
• Three Men and a Baby remake
• The Paper Magician film
• Stargirl film
• A High School Musical series
• Monsters Inc. series
• A possible Muppets series

What shows and movies do you want to appear on Disney’s streaming service? Pop them into the comments section and we’ll keep updating this post with more information as it becomes available.

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