Strange things are happening with The Walt Disney Company’s material in general in Latin America, you can now buy movies as content on their streaming platforms. What about Disney Plus and Star Plus and what are their issues?
One of the most controversial topics that doesn’t make too much commercial sense is that you can’t buy Disney titles in digital stores. It doesn’t matter if they are from Marvel or War of the galaxies or Pixar or Disney itself. Even those from 20th Century Studios aren’t either. With a few exceptions like Spider-Man No Way Home, which is actually a Sony Pictures production, almost every title that references Disney content will be gone for online purchase.
Disney understands that its content is exclusive to Disney Plus, but it is losing an interesting business with digital sales. Who buys a film to have on his computer or tablet or digital library, because he really is a lover of this film and takes it as an object of the collection. He won’t stop subscribing to the streaming platform to buy some movies. If not, digital stores and DVD and Blu-Ray sales, a big business for distributors, would disappear.
The most curious thing is that in other countries they are available for purchase of Disney productions, but not in Latin America, with whatever exclusivity there would not be a very certain reason either.
Another strange case is the contents. For example, the popular series 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland, which took years to reach streaming and finally did it on Star Plus in Latin America, has already disappeared from the platform. Yes, it can be seen on Hulu in the United States (which would be the version of Star Plus on American soil) or on Disney Plus itself in Spain. Why not then in Latin America?
What stops a Disney Plus y Star Plus to offer the same content globally when they own the brands? What is the reason for not selling the movies and the users who can buy them digitally? What is the difference between the United States, Spain and Latin America?
For now, Disney will bet on releasing in theaters Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever in November and then Avatar 2: The Way of Water in December. Both will arrive in 2023 on Disney Plus, however, if the trend continues it will not be possible to buy it for its digital format.
A business that Disney is not taking advantage of and a missed opportunity for viewers.