Disney to launch audio/video streaming platform in UK

Disney logoThe Walt Disney Company has announced plans to launch a new streaming service in the UK. DisneyLife will combine both music and video content from several of the entertainment company’s ventures, including Disney Channel TV episodes, the entire Pixar catalog, books, and music albums.

“This is the future, in many respects,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told the Financial Times. “We’re seeing more and more opportunities to reach consumers directly and not through middlemen, and we’re seeing consumers wanting product in different ways.”

The service will launch first in the UK with a monthly subscription cost of £9.99. DisneyLife is projected to expand into France, Spain, Italy, and Germany next year; content will be available in the native languages of each of those nations. It is not currently expected to appear in the U.S. due to overlaps with Disney’s distribution agreements with cable and satellite companies, although Iger said the idea of a local launch wasn’t entirely off the table.

Anna Washenko