Foxtel & Netflix Set To Face Off With New Disney OZ Streaming Service
Foxtel and free to air TV stations in Australia are facing a serious new threat and Micky Mouse is set to play a key role.
Overnight Walt Disney announced a major reorganization when they announced that they intend to take on Netflix and become a major global online entertainment Company.
The Company that is in the throes of buying film, TV and international businesses from Twenty-First Century Fox a Murdoch controlled Company aims to deliver content to Australians, among their offering will be a massive library of children content which is a key reason for parents to subscribe to both Foxtel and Netflix.
The Company also plans to compete in the sports market.
The Company said that they are creating a new direct-to-consumer and international unit as the entertainment company adapts to a rapid shift toward online and mobile viewing.
Kevin Mayer, the company’s chief strategy officer, was named chairman of the new division, which will oversee the launch of a family-oriented streaming service akin to Netflix in late 2019, Disney said in a statement.
The move, effective immediately, comes as Disney is in the process of purchasing film, TV and international businesses from Twenty-First Century Fox.
Regulators are reviewing the deal, which has been complicated by Murdoch arch rival Comcast lobbing in a multibillion dollar offer for one of the assets, Britain’s Sky which is the UK equivalent of Foxtel.
Subscribers could get discounts to Disney theme parks, after the Company announced merging its theme parks business with the consumer products unit that licenses characters for toys, apparel and other merchandise.
Bob Chapek, the current head of the parks division, will oversee the combined unit.
Media networks and the movie studio will remain separate units, Disney said.