Netflix rival’s move also comes at ‘dangerous moment’ for BBC, soon to lose its director general

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

A new TV streaming service, Disney+, is to launch in the UK earlier than scheduled in a move that underlines the increasing competition facing the BBC.

Disney had planned to launch the service on 31 March, but has now brought it forward a week to 24 March.

It has confirmed the service will match the cost of Netflix by charging subscribers a monthly fee of £5.99. Disney will also offer a yearly rate for the service of £59.99.

Disney’s announcement comes a day after the BBC’s director general, Tony Hall, said he was stepping down earlier than planned. It prompted warnings that the corporation faces a “dangerous moment” due to the hostility to public broadcasting among many in the Conservative government and the changing viewing habits of licence payers as they switch to streaming services.

The new platform focuses on spin-off shows, films and other series from studios including Disney, Pixar and Marvel. Disney has pledged to make any new film releases exclusive to its platform, and has already begun the process of pulling its content from competitors such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Unlike Netflix it will release new episodes of selected shows weekly to avoid binge viewing.

The new Disney+ service, which has been available in the US and Canada since November, will also go live in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland on 24 March.

All of the original and prequel Star Wars films – as well as The Force Awakens – will be on the service at the launch. The recent Captain Marvel movie will also be included.

When it was launched in the US in November, the service gained more than 10 million subscribers on its first day. But the figures were boosted by a deal that allowed some customers a year’s subscription for free as part of phone and broadband packages.

Disney is hoping to repeat the success of Netflix, which has has gathered about 158 million subscribers since launching its streaming platform in 2007.

Programmes to watch out for

The Mandalorian

This Star Wars spin-off is billed as a spaghetti western in space and has been dismissed as “dusty disappointment” by the Guardian. But the story of a helmeted gunfighter played by Pedro Pascal has been the service’s biggest hit so far. The eight-part first season features the viral hit character the Child, colloquially known as Baby Yoda, who looks like a young version of the beloved Star Wars figure.



High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Another spin-off that tries to exploit the success of the franchise among children and teenagers. The show returns to East High as a mockumentary series about how a group of teenagers stage High School Musical: The Musical as their school play. It stars Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts, who is cast as Gabriella Montez in the school show, while Joshua Bassett plays Ricky Bowen, who is cast as Troy Bolton.

Lady and the Tramp

Following remakes of The Lion King and The Jungle Book, this retells the 1955 Disney classic using photorealistic animation. Lady, a posh cocker spaniel, is voiced by Tessa Thompson, while Justin Theroux voices the inner-city mutt, Tramp.

The Loki

This will not be available until next year, but its star Tom Hiddleston describes it as “one of the most exciting creative opportunities I think I’ve ever come across”. It will be a six-part series devoted to Hiddleston’s villainous character from Marvel’s Avengers series.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

The Hollywood star promises to reveal all about ice-cream, tattoos, jewellery and trainers in a Louis Theroux-style documentary.

