Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: ESPN+

  • ‘Disney+’s Ad-Supported Model Gets US Release in December

    ‘Disney+’s Ad-Supported Model Gets US Release in December

    The day is coming closer as the ad-supported streaming variations of Disney+ has finally gotten a release date; at least for the United States. According to Deadline, Disney+ will be made available with advertising on December 8th. It’ll cost $7.99 a month rather than its premium model at $10.99. Naturally, they also have various bundles planned such as lower-priced basic plans with ads getting their own combinations for Hulu and ESPN+.

    Disney+ with Hulu would go for $9.99 a month while adding ESPN+ would put it at $12.99. There’s also a basic monthly fee for Hulu with Live TV, which also includes Disney+ and ESPN+ for $69.99. Kareem Daniel, the Chairman for Media & Entertainment Distributions shared the following statement regarding the announcement:

    With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience. Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ feature unparalleled content and viewing experiences and offer the best value in streaming today, with over 100,000 movie titles, TV episodes, original shows, sports and live events collectively.

    Kareem Daniel

    Disney’s quarterly earnings are just around the corner, which makes this announcement quite interesting and a hopeful grab to get on the good side of Wall Street. Netflix and HBO Max have been hit quite hard as of late due to Netflix’s recent tumble, which may be one of the reasons that the streaming war will continue the way it currently is going. Disney+ is a safe bet to remain but the rest are up for question.

    Source. Deadline

  • Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Here’s an interesting development. During Disney’s Investors Day, they revealed their global expansion. Europe and Canada got Star as a new brand directly in Disney+ to add access to mature content. The United States keeps its Hulu branding as a separate service, but they’ve tested ut integrating multiple streaming options by integrating ESPN+. Their idea for the Latin America market was to create a Star-focused service titled Star Plus.

    Yet, it looks like those plans were swiftly halted by a judge in São Paulo. Starz successfully blocked their launch in Brazil with complaints on trademark infringement still active in Mexico. Argentinian court has denied Starz’s complaint. Judge Jorge Tosta wrote the following on the decision:

    The plaintiff proved to have priority of use and registration in Brazil over the word mark ‘STARZPLAY,’ including for identifying entertainment services, which grants it the right to protect its reputation and material integrity.

    Starz has established its Starzplay streaming service and launched it in the Latin American market in 2019. Of course, it isn’t the exact same title but they have pointed out that Star Plus and Starzsplay will get generalized terms as “Star.” Plus, Disney’s marketing power also could harm Starz brand. It’s an interesting case, as it opens Disney to some new hurdles. They either have to rethink their strategy in Brazil or create unique branding for the location. Perhaps they’ll decide to extend the Hulu brand internationally as a result.

     

    Prime Video Channels: Amazon bringt Starzplay nach Deutschland

     

    Of curse, they can also take the European route by integrating it into Disney+, but the service was going to include ESPN offerings. So, there’s also the Indian Disney+ Hotstar branding that is more distinctive. It’s likely they’ll wait out until Mexico makes their decision before rolling out the brand, but it’s an interesting development that could have repercussions for Disney’s overall branding strategy. The official Twitter channel teased a strange new verified channel simply called The Streamer:

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • ‘Black Widow’ Special on Stuntwoman Heidi Moneymaker Heading to ESPN+

    ‘Black Widow’ Special on Stuntwoman Heidi Moneymaker Heading to ESPN+

    Black Widow is so close to releasing in theaters. It looks like Marvel Studios has some plans to put a focus on an essential member of the film’s team, Scarlett Johanssons‘ stunt double, Heidi Moneymaker. She has been a part of the Marvel family for almost ten years. She was along for the ride since she first pulled off the amazing stunts in 2010’s Iron Man 2. To celebrate her work, ESPN+ will release an exclusive special that takes a closer look at her time and work in bringing the character to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The E60 Presents special titled Moneymaker: Behind the Black Widow will explore her origin story and her journey to bringing the Marvel icon to life as narrated by Scarlett Johansson.

     

     

    There’s not enough focus on the stunt industry that is an integral part of modern Hollywood. It is long overdue that the Oscars include a nomination for stunt work. So, it’s great that they are adding a documentary to focus on her work. It’ll follower her story as a national champion gymnast to joining Marvel Studios. She isn’t the only Moneymaker helping the company bring their iconic heroes to life. Her sister Renae doubles for Evangeline Lilly and Brie Larson.

    Hopefully, this move also means that other iconic stunt woman and men that brought the other heroes to life get their time to shine in future additions of the E60 Presents line-up, as we wouldn’t have our iconic heroes without them. It’s uncertain if it remains an ESPN+ exclusive. Not every country has access to the streaming service. So, some markets might get it through Disney+. Of course, we hopefully will also get a Black Widow episode on the Marvel Studios: Assemble documentary series to go alongside this special. 

    Source: Marvel, YouTube