Disney May Start Licensing Content to Streamers Other Than Netflix

Disney is thinking about licensing content to other streamers.

By Aaron Perine

Disney could start licensing more of its content over to other streamers. CEO Bob Iger talked about the possibility of getting other streaming platforms like Peacock, Paramount+, Prime Video and others involved with their content. The executive was asked about the current licensing landscape with Netflix getting some Disney programming back in recent months. Across the entertainment landscape, this has become more prevalent as companies scramble to recoup some easy money by licensing shows and movies to competitors. In honesty, this is how things used to run before the streaming explosion in the later half of the last decade.

"We're already doing some licensing with Netflix, and we're looking selectively at other possibilities," Iger said during the earnings call this morning. "I don't want to declare that it's a direction we'll go more aggressively or not. But we certainly are taking a look at it and being expansive in our thinking about it."

Disney+ Incorporates Hulu Content

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Iger has been folding brands back under the Disney+ umbrella as fast as possible. The last Investors Call of 2023 saw the Disney CEO heralding the arrival of Hulu onto the mainline streaming brand this year. That promise ended up coming true as earlier in 2024, a lot of Disney+ users awoke to the Hulu tab being present on their devices. It's been a long time coming for Disney as they've gotten their streaming ducks in a row. Now, it might be a moment where there's a reverse course to the old Netflix and Hulu era where there's much more availability across the board.

"Speaking of Hulu, we were pleased to announce last week that we will acquire the remaining stake in Hulu held by Comcast, which will further Disney streaming objective," Iger said back in 2023. "We remain on track to roll out more unified one app experience domestically, making expensive general entertainment content available to bundle subscribers via Disney+."

"We expect that Hulu and Disney plus will result in increased engagement, greater advertising opportunities, lower churn and reduced customer acquisition costs, thereby increasing our overall margins," the CEO argued "We will launch a beta version for bundle subscribers in December, giving parents time to set up profiles and parental controls that work best for their families ahead of the official launch in early spring 2024."

Iger Makes Massive MCU Announcement

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(Photo: VALERIE MACON)

Today has been a busy one for Iger as he talked about Marvel Studios' future as well. During the Investors Call, the Disney CEO talked about walking down the studios output to 2-3 films a year at maximum and capping the TV shows at around 2-3 as well. Some fans have asked for these changes over the last two years and they're going to get them. Sure, that means Deadpool & Wolverine this year and virtually nothing else. But, let's see how the public responds to some of these adjustments. Of course, in the bean-counting corners of social media, this will be applauded. But, it's an interesting tack to take with Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon.

Iger told shareholders, "We're slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we're working hard on what that path is."

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"[Marvel has] a couple of good films in '25 and then we're heading to more Avengers which we're extremely excited about," Iger would gesture towards 2025's slate and beyond. "Overall, I feel great about the slate. It's something, as you know, that I've committed to spending more and more time on. The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in and the IP that we're mining, including all the sequels that we're doing, is second to none."

Which other streaming service will get other Disney content first? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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