In the midst of the so-called "Streaming Wars," Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos gave a relatively unbothered response to Disney+'s massive launch.
"For us, nothing has changed," Sarandos said when asked about Disney+ at the International Council Summit. "We've always been customer-first and we don't really get distracted by competition."
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While Sarandos went on to praise Disney for being "great storytellers," he also pointed out a potential pitfall to the Mouse House's extensive IP library. "I do think the risk of being bound in a few universes is that there sometimes may be a melting ice cube of interest over time," he said. "You have to keep reinventing, which is great. But I like the ability to keep reinventing across the platforms, across the universes, across programming ideas and programming verticals, without the constraints of a handful of universes."
Disney+ launched on Nov. 12 to massive success, exceeding the previously predicted sign-up numbers, and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the competition for audience subscriptions. While Netflix paved the way for streaming content, especially as far as original programming is concerned, its challengers are popping up with more and more frequency over the past year. HBO Max and Apple TV+ have both entered the race that already includes Hulu and Amazon Prime. Sarandos also commented on the timing of this streaming boom, stating that he was "frankly surprised it took Disney and other people this long to go down this path. It's a hard change."
Disney+ is now available in the U.S. and will launch on Nov. 19 in Australia and New Zealand, with content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
(via Deadline)