The Mistry blog

Since its launch in November 2019, Disney+ has amassed over 80 million subscribers worldwide, a feat no one would have expected when the service launched.  But even with all its success, there were still many people (myself included) who were hesitant, or didn't see the worth in subscribing to Disney+. The main reason being was that there wasn't a wide enough variety of content on the platform, a sense that "its all the same" and "there's only so many Disney films I can watch".  BUT, this is where things are going to change! Disney are finally rolling out their STAR section on Disney+ in the UK (and many other markets) on 23rd February. In Disney's own words, its "OUR BIGGEST CONTENT DROP EVER"... There'd been lots of speculation as to how Disney were going to integrate all of the Fox content they had acquired , and it was announced last year they would be taking the "Star" brand they'd acquired, and putting all their matu...

Peacock (NBCUniversal/Comcast) was the last of the major streaming services to launch in the US, launching nationally on 15 th July. It was already available to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex cable customers since April, but since the national launch, we now have some official numbers to help us understand how Peacock has been received - and it’s a mixed bag! Since April, Peacock has added 10 million subscribers to the service, although most of these would likely be through Comcast’s cable package. 10 million is a good number in all honesty, but still falls well behind Disney+ who gained 10 million subscribers on its first day (that number is still astonishing). We shouldn’t really expect Peacock to be challenging those numbers, but their subscriber growth since national launch tells a more humble story. In its first 6 days, Peacock added 1.5 million subscribers, which is by no means a failure, but I’m sure Comcast wanted a stronger launch, especially considering the service has a fr...

A decade in review... If you were to ask people what were the most prominent brands of the last decade, you’d hear names such as Apple, Disney, Amazon, and a bunch more tech companies that have cemented their place on both the stock market and our lives. But the one I’d put above them all is Netflix. For many, Netflix represents the most fundamental shift in consumer behaviour of this past decade…that is the rise of streaming! When you think Netflix, you think streaming. The two words are synonymous with each other, as it was Netflix who led the way in terms of streaming video online directly to consumers. Spotify comes to mind for music, but in streaming Netflix is king…well it has been so far. At the start of the last decade, Netflix expanded their DVD rental business, introducing the option to stream video directly to users for a monthly fee. No one knew whether Netflix’s model would work – but it did, and changed entertainment forever, offering consumers more freedom an...

We’ve known for some time now that AT&T owned WarnerMedia (like every other major entertainment conglomerate) have been keen on entering the lucrative streaming market, with much talk of their own streaming service set to launch early next year. Now WarnerMedia have officially announced the launch of HBO Max for spring 2020, which looks set to be a serious competitor to the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and co. The service will be home to all HBO programming along with content from WarnerMedia’s vast library of brands and networks. The service will also be home to several “Max Originals”, content made for and exclusively on HBO Max. Here are some of the key takeaways from the announcement: Launching in spring 2020 (US only). Premium content available from HBO, Warner Bros, New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, and more. The service will include original content from their various brands as well as new proje...

Having dominated the theatrical market/box office in recent years (and many more to come), Disney are now shifting their attention to the biggest consumer trend seen this decade – streaming. Launching ESPN+ in 2018, and with Disney+ on the horizon, many believe the company is moving to dominate the market like they do traditional cinema. Now Disney have moved a step closer to securing their status by taking full operating control of Hulu. Announced on Tuesday, Disney and Comcast agreed a deal for Disney to take full operating control of Hulu effective immediately. Although Comcast still have a 33% stake in the streaming service, they have agreed a deal with Disney which looks to benefit both companies. Here is a breakdown of key aspects from the deal:  Either company can enforce the sale/purchase of Comcast’s remaining stake to Disney from January 2024. NBCUniversal will continue to licence content to Hulu for the next 5 years (although they can start to pull most of tha...

In recent months, we’ve been hearing more and more of Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+ , with their acquisition of 21 st Century Fox’s entertainment assets seen as a move to bolster its chances of succeeding. Well on a recent investors call, and later confirmed through a press release , Disney have given us its first official look at their brand new streaming service, highlighting details on content, availability, and pricing! Here's a first look at the user interface (it looks super cool): Disney are banking a lot on this streaming service to be a success, and by the looks of it they’re in the best position possible. Through its presentations (which also included updates on ESPN+, Hot Star, and Hulu), they highlighted the content available on the platform, ranging from Disney and Marvel, all the way to National Geographic and more. Their content library is impressive even without Fox, so it’s no surprise how much confidence Disney is showing in the service. Here...

Apple is a company known for innovation, pushing the boundaries of technological imagination to realisation, which is reflected in their world-class products. So it is unusual that Apple has found itself lagging behind competitors when it comes to content and programming, especially when the likes of Amazon and Google have been in the game for a number of years already. Well on Monday, Apple finally announced its long rumoured streaming service, Apple TV Plus , showcasing their offering (and host of others) to the entire world. The service, which will act as a rival to the likes of streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime, will launch in late 2019. The service will be home to original movies, TV shows, and documentaries from Hollywood superstars such as Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, JJ Abrams, and a bunch more. It’s clear that from a creative standpoint at least, people have bought into Apple’s vision of the service, but whether consumers will catch on is a differen...