by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 4, 2019
Ever since Disney announced that it would be launching its own streaming service, the company, unsurprisingly, become engaged in a kind of Cold War with the largest competitor, Netflix. So, we saw Marvel shows on Netflix, like “Daredevil,” become casualties, unfortunately. But now, based on a report from The Wall Street Journal, it’s safe to say that the war is going hot as the November 12 launch date for Disney+ fast approaches.
Today, the Journal reported that The Walt Disney Company was banning advertising from Netflix, Inc. across Disney-owned television networks. According to the report, Disney had decided to ban ads from competing streaming services earlier this year, but then reversed course and came to agreements with everyone – except Netflix.
The Journal noted: “Netflix spent $99.2 million on U.S. TV ads during 2018, with some 13% going to Disney-owned entertainment networks, according to estimates from ad-measurement firm iSpot.TV.”
Toss Amazon, Apple, Comcast, AT&T and others into the streaming providers mix, and let the war rage – all to the eventual benefit of consumers who will decide who succeeds and who fails.
Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
