Disney removing shows from Netflix

Andrea Elsholz, Writer

Setting a heavy bag on the floor, shoulders aching from numerous textbooks, you plan to turn on a favorite show to ease stress. Maybe you want to watch a classic Disney movie, like, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, The Jungle Book or Hercules. But by 2020, that won’t be the case. Disney will no longer sell its movies to Netflix and instead plans to start their own streaming service.

“The launch of our direct-to-consumer service marks an entirely new growth strategy for the company,” Disney chief Bob Iger said. “One that takes advantage of the incredible opportunity that changing technology provides us to leverage the strength of our company.”

Despite Disney’s goal to make their brand more accessible, the new streaming service has brought distress for some Netflix watchers who are Disney fans.

“It will be really sad when they take the Disney movies off of Netflix. My kids and I watch Netflix all the time, primarily Disney,” Biology teacher Kimberly Wilhite said. “Disney movies are the more popular movies, and people watch Netflix because it has better, more popular movies. Without Disney on there, for sure, they will lose viewers.”

Iger explains that by creating this new streaming service, Disney will have direct contact with their online consumers, so they can share their unique brand while being self-reliant. In his interview, Iger also explains that Disney’s intent of going solo with their own streaming service is not meant to be threatening.

“The distributors and programmers alike have been experiencing the disruption that the whole market is seeing from advances in technology and changes in consumer behavior,” Iger said. “Because of that, we feel we have to act accordingly. My guess is the distributors will look at this more as a threat than anything else. It’s not intended to be that; what we’re doing is we’re taking advantage of the quality of our brand, the passion, and the product we create and the technology that allows us to reach our consumers.”

Netflix will lose viewers without Disney movies on there. However people are unsure of whether those viewers will chose the Disney streaming service instead.

“I watch Netflix at least 25 minutes everyday and I love Disney,” freshman Erica Bradley said. “My favorite thing about Disney is the happy endings despite the tough times. I think if Disney takes their movies off of Netflix, Netflix will lose money, but there will also be people not wanting to buy Disney movies or have other streaming services that Disney offers. They’ll think, ‘we already have Netflix and you took it off. We’re not going to pay you for this.’”

Disney has a large pool of their movies on Netflix, at over 94. Without Disney movies, the content of Netflix will be different.

“Not as many kids will continue to watch Netflix.” Bradley said. “Netflix will have more adult content, and be less child friendly, appear more violent.”

Netflix stocks have already dropped 3.8 percent and will keep dropping as Disney movies are officially gone in 2020.