Avengers: Endgame will be available on Disney+ this December. In November, the Mouse House formally enters the streaming wars with the launch of their direct-to-consumer subscription service, which will cost just $6.99 per month at the start. Though Disney+ will have 20 percent less content than main rival Netflix, it still provides plenty of movies and shows for fans to be excited about. Unsurprisingly, output from Disney’s most popular subsidiaries - like Marvel and Lucasfilm - is a chief selling point.
In addition to new programming like the Loki TV series and The Mandalorian, Disney+ will also be the exclusive streaming home of the studio’s blockbuster tentpoles. When the service launches, a number of MCU films will be available to watch, and thankfully viewers won’t have to wait much longer after that to see the franchise’s biggest hit to date. Before the calendar flips over to 2020, Endgame will be on Disney+.
Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed Endgame will be on Disney+ beginning December 11 (hat tip Deadline). The news comes shortly after Endgame passed the $2 billion mark at the global box office. The film, which continues to break commercial records two weeks into its run, is currently on pace to top James Cameron’s Avatar as the highest-grossing movie of all-time.
It stands reason to believe Endgame will become available on other platforms well before that December Disney+ release date. Infinity War, which premiered in theaters last April, hit Blu-ray in August - four months prior to debuting on Netflix. While Disney is obviously banking heavily on Disney+ to be a major source of revenue, they don’t want to undercut digital and Blu-ray sales. Rather than waiting until December to see Endgame from the comfort of their own living rooms, die-hard MCU fans are more likely to spend the money to get their own copy so they can rewatch it as soon as possible. If the Disney+ release coincided with Endgame’s Blu-ray street date, there could be some cannibalization, negatively affecting ancillary streams of income.
Following Captain Marvel, Endgame will be the second MCU release to skip Netflix and go straight to Disney+ (which is the new norm moving forward). A number of Disney’s Marvel and Star Wars releases are currently on Netflix, but it’s clear come November, that partnership will be defunct. Disney understands the immense value of their various properties, and is going to make sure to capitalize on the full potential of each as they start this new venture. If the streaming wars will ultimately come down to Disney+ or Netflix, it doesn’t make sense for the Mouse House to give their most successful movie to a competitor. Endgame won’t be on Disney+ when the service first launches in November, but it will become a draw for new customers by the end of the year.
More: Disney+ Ends The Disney Vault (and Physical Media With It?)
Source: Deadline
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