Future Can Be Bright For Apple

It’s official. By the time Game of Thrones’ long-awaited winter has come and gone for the final time, many fans of entertainment streaming services will be eagerly anticipating a new major development in the fall of 2019.

- Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan

A DEVELOPMENT TO KEEP APPLE, NETFLIX AND OTHER BIG PLAYERS ON THEIR TOES

Last week, Disney confirmed the long awaited news that its own streaming service, Disney+, will officially hit our screens and devices this November.

Looking set to challenge Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and regular satellite and cable TV, Disney already boasts a back-catalogue of favorite shows and movies that many families won’t mind spending a little money on. With every movie and series in the Star Wars catalogue, plus the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) soon to be exclusive to Disney+ subscribers, that’s just two immensely popular franchises you’ll no longer find on any other streaming service.

Furthermore, at just $6.99 per month, the soon-to-be-launched service already undercuts the current market leader, Netflix, by almost 50 per cent. With both Apple TV+ and WarnerMedia’s new streaming service also soon set for launch, streamed entertainment enthusiasts all over the world are going to have some choices to make when it comes to their next subscription.

IT’S NOT JUST NERVOUS TIMES FOR NETFLIX

The day after Disney’s announcement, $7 billion was cut from Netflix’s market value, after its share value tumbled by 4.5 per cent.

Contrastingly, Disney shares saw an instant surge, with an additional 9 per cent increase in value between Thursday 11 and Friday 12.

Research conducted by SunTrust recently found that eight per cent of existing Netflix subscribers expected to switch to Disney+ completely upon launch. Based on Netflix’s 139 million