We’ve looked in greater depth at the stir surrounding the Quarter 3 Disney earnings this week, but with so much news for investors to drink in, one exciting addition to the Disney+ slate could be easily overlooked. Luckily, we have Brandon Blake’s expert eye watching the entertainment business news for us. Here’s everything you need to know about this new Disney development.
Disney+ will be expanding into Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea as of November 2021. The existing Japanese streaming service will also be expanded with greater general content from October. Alongside their existing presence in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Indian subcontinent, as well as New Zealand, this will catapult their Asia-Pacific market share to new heights.
What’s driving the sudden expansion? The existing Disney+ services have been incredibly well received by viewers seeking ‘diverse entertainment content’ who are ‘drawn to (their) portfolio of brands and franchises’, in the words of Luke Kang, the president for their Asia Pacific services. In hard figures, there’s been booming subscriber growth in the area. For Thailand, Disney+ has topped app store charts since its June launch. For Indonesia and Malaysia, it’s a leading SVOD service. Demand is high, and they would be foolish indeed not to leverage it.
While we don’t have any further firm facts on the matter, we’ve been promised full details will follow soon. Disney+ currently operates in 61 countries and offers services in 21 languages globally. In addition to the North American and European markets, it also has a thriving Latin American presence and the booming Asia Pacific division to capitalize on.
While Disney was a relative latecomer to the streaming market, in its short existence Disney+ has become a dominant part of both their balance sheet and brand strategy, with the company reforming around streaming and digital formats earlier this year. Expansion into the Asian market will doubtless serve them well over time. This entertainment lawyer will be keeping a careful eye on further news for the expansion. Of course, we’ll keep you in the loop when it does.
Film and Television 