Launch Of Disney+ Hits Bumps

After two years of planning, the Walt Disney Co. today finally launches Disney+, the much anticipated streaming service that marks one of the Burbank company’s biggest gambles to date, according to The LA Times.

UPDATE 9:00 AM: Disney's new streaming service is running into some early tech issues on its launch day with "unable to connect" errors being reported across social media channels.

Disney has spent more than $3 billion on technology and content in an ambitious bid to take on Netflix at its own game. The $6.99-a-month service boasts a deep library, including movies and TV shows from Pixar Animation, “Star Wars,” Marvel Studios and classic Disney fare.

The new product represents a shift in Disney’s business strategy and potentially, another blow to the traditional pay-TV bundle that has been so important to its business. Cord-cutting is on the rise, taking a big bite out of revenue to Disney’s cable sports empire, ESPN, and other channels.

What to watch on Disney+: A critic’s guide What to watch on Disney+: A critic’s guide
The new streaming option could entice more people to cancel their pay-TV subscriptions, further jeopardizing the health of an important profit center — the fees that cable and satellite TV operators pay for programming. Nearly a quarter of U.S. households are expected to drop traditional TV subscriptions by 2022, according to research firm eMarketer. The number of people in the U.S. who stream video through subscription services is expected to reach 205.6 million in 2023, up from 182.5 million this year, according to eMarketer.

Disney faces formidable competition from rivals including Netflix, which has a big head start with 158 million subscribers and is spending about $15 billion on content this year.

But Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Bob Iger fervently believes that the companies that forge strong relationships with consumers will be the ones that survive the digital migration. His legacy will be judged, in large part, on the success of Disney+.

Highlights of what is available:

• LucasFilm’s new Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian...Episode 2 comes out Friday the 15th, forthcoming episodes will release on Fridays.
• The X-Men animated series from the 90’s.
• Avengers: Endgame is also coming to Disney+ at launch.
• The first three Toy Story movies so you can get all caught up for Toy Story 4 if you haven’t seen that one yet.
• All 30 seasons of The Simpsons will be available on day one.
• The new “live-action” Lady and the Tramp movie is a day-one Disney+ exclusive.
• So many great animated classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.

Not Yet...Some movies and shows will await expiration of existing streaming deals with rivals: 

• The Pixar cartoon “Coco,” the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” and the Star Wars movies “The Last Jedi” and “Solo” fall in this category.
• Others like “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and “The Lion King” remake haven’t been released for streaming yet. “Maleficent” is still in theaters.
• Other original TV shows like Marvel’s “Loki” are still in the works.