For several years, the war between streaming platforms has raged on our screens. If Netflix seems to be the headliner, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Max and company are trying to establish a nest in their preferred areas. So it’s the race for content for the platforms. But where does Disney+ fit into all this? We try to take stock of the evolution of the platform in comparison to these competitors.
Disadvantages of Disney+: Below-average new features
The first thing that is generally criticized for Disney+it's its low number of new releases each week. The platform presents many more additions that are not new than original programs. And after several years of operation, this is seriously starting to be felt. Of course, there are exceptions. The series “Shogun”, “The Bear” and “Only Murders in The Building”, among others, are phenomenal successes for the platform and notably allowed the platform to win in 2024 the largest number of Emmy Awards ever received for the same entity during a ceremony. But these successes are too occasional and risk ultimately discouraging subscribers… Competition rages between the different platforms and Disney+ is by no means first in terms of new features (but not last either). In addition, according to a study carried out by a VPN provider, the public is starting to get tired of accumulating subscriptions, Disney+ therefore has every interest in improving in this area…
The other problem with Disney+, and it is inherent to Disney France, is the management of the French versions (VF) of new features on the platform. To take only recent examples, a lot of publicity has been made around the new medical series: Doctor Odyssey. It arrived in France at the same time as in the rest of the world. On the other hand, the VF is still not available… The subtitling is there but for a platform available in French, the absence of VF is not professional. The other example is the future arrival of the spin-off series Wizards of Waverly Place. Already released in the United States, we will have to wait until the beginning of 2025 (at a date still unknown) for it to arrive in France. The fault is… The VF…
Advantage of Disney+: in-depth content that is the best on the market
There is no doubt about it. In terms of substantive content, that is to say excluding new features, Disney+ has the palme d'or, especially for the fans of which I am one! Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Disney Nature, Avatar and so on… productions. They are all available and much more on the platform. This gives it phenomenal, high-quality ongoing content.
Where Disney+ also wins hands down is its child-friendly content, of course. They will be able to find completely adapted animated films and series on the platform, which are notably from Mickey's House television channels, Disney Junior and Disney Channel.
Ads, prices and account shares
While these are particularly important concerns for us consumers, unfortunately they are not really valid points of comparison between platforms. Subscriptions with advertisements are gradually arriving on all platforms, as is the ban on account sharing. As for prices, the older platforms are more or less the same, while the newer ones, with less content, are a little cheaper. The best offers are currently the bundled offers offered by internet operators who manage to lower prices due to their weight in terms of number of subscriptions.
I must now conclude and answer the initial question: is Disney+ the best streaming platform? But… the answer is not unique and depends on what you are looking for. If you want to have at your fingertips all the Walt Disney Company productions which are extremely numerous and of high quality, Disney+ is the best platform. On the other hand, if it's the novelty that attracts you, Disney+ will probably not be your first choice…
