Last month, Disney announced plans to launch its own video streaming site in 2019. While the entertainment giant confirmed Disney and Pixar movies would be shown exclusively on the app, there was a chance that future Marvel and Star Wars titles could stay on Netflix. But now, company CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that the franchises will appear exclusively on Disney's service.
"I have described a very rich, treasure trove of content for this app," Iger said at a media conference in Los Angeles yesterday. "We're going to launch big, and we're going to launch hot."
While the loss of Disney and Pixar movies is unlikely to come as a huge blow for most subscribers - at least to those without kids - the Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm productions are a big draw for Netflix.
The news means movies such as Star Wars Episode IX, Avengers 4, and Captain Marvel will all be shown exclusively on Disney's as yet unnamed app. It will also have four to five original Disney series, as well as three to four exclusive Disney movies.
The biggest question for Netflix fans is where does this leave Marvel series such as The Defenders, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. A Netflix rep said it would continue to do business with the company on many fronts, which includes the ongoing deal with Marvel TV, but there's no guarantee Disney won't eventually make the shows exclusive to its own app.
In 2018, Disney is also planning to release an ESPN streaming service. It will feature around "10,000 live regional, national, and international games and events a year."