in Movies & TV
Credit: Inside the Magic
Tomorrow, The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, Disney+, will change forever, and it may be the boost the House of Mouse needs in this tough economic climate.
Disney+ debuted in 2019 and has since gone on to amass just under 150 million subscribers. The service was the focal point for former Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek, and upon his return as CEO, it was Bob Iger’s, too. Iger and former Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy shared last year that Disney+ was looking to be profitable by the end of fiscal 2024, something that Macquarie Senior Media Tech Analyst Tim Nollen discussed in his interview with Yahoo! Finance.
During his first few months back at the helm of The Walt Disney Company, Iger made the aggressive decision to cull multiple titles from Disney+, including the likes of Lucasfilm’s new Willow series and the film Crater (2023), which had been on the service for less than two months. Many of the classic Disney movies and newer originals still remain on the streamer.
Related: Taylor Swift Becomes a Disney Princess, Images Blow up Social Media
Content curation is a big factor in streamlining the Disney+ service, and even Disney’s popular subsidiaries, like Marvel Studios, have curbed the number of projects it is sending to the streamer. On a similar note, Iger recently spoke out about how audience moviegoing fatigue is not real and that Disney just needs to make good movies.
Well, Disney may not have had a hand in making this movie, but they will be distributing it to the masses on March 14. A cultural phenomenon like no other, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will officially debut on Disney+ tomorrow and, in doing so, will change the trajectory of the streaming service forever.
There is no other entertainer alive today that is as prominent as singer Taylor Swift. After releasing ten albums, Swift embarked on her industry-leading, record-breaking Eras Tour in March 2023. Bringing hits from all her albums–“Taylor Swift,” “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” “Reputation,” “Lover,” “folklore,” “evermore,” and “Midnights”–Swift’s three-hour epic performance has captured the attention of global media for the last ten months. Following her dates in North America, Swift visited South America, Japan, and Australia, and has recently performed in Singapore, before heading to Europe this Spring.
Notoriously difficult to get tickets, fans rejoiced when Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was turned into a film and hit the big screen. It became the highest-grossing concert movie of all time with $216 million in ticket sales, and shortly after, Swift shared that the concert film would be available on demand to rent for a limited time.
But come March 14, Taylor Swift’s career-defining concert will officially hit Disney+, and in doing so, be the only place that fans can watch the event. What this could mean for Disney is huge. After struggling to retain and build its subscriber base, the addition of The Eras Tour may create the subscription spike the service needs to become a profitable enterprise. Disney paid $75 million for the film, beating out the likes of Netflix and Universal for the streaming rights.
As we have seen in the past, when millions of subscribers in India canceled Disney+ after the Mouse lost the rights to the cricket, one singular entity can create a huge increase or decrease in users, potentially even more so than the varied offering many streamers promote.
Related: shopDisney Breaks Instagram Followers, Gets Involved With Taylor Swift
When Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour debuts on Disney+, it will include never-before-seen songs, including “cardigan,” “Maroon,” “I Can See You,” “You Are In Love,” and “Death By A Thousand Cuts.” Originally meant to be released on Disney+ on March 15, the concert film will now air tomorrow, on March 14.
The streaming release of The Eras Tour comes shortly after Swift announced her eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” while accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 66th Grammy Awards. She later went on to win Album of the Year for “Midnights.”
Like what will happen in 2026, the success or failure of Taylor Swift to draw in subscribers will alter the course of Disney+ for good.
Do you think Taylor Swift will change Disney+? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
in Movies & TV
When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake — to bake and to eat). He’s a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it’s One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.
View Comments (30)
Inside the Magic is the world’s largest website for fans of Disney World, Disneyland, Marvel, Star Wars, and more.
Created in 2005, what started as a tiny central Florida-based website and short weekly podcast that allowed our audience to visit Walt Disney World virtually has grown into the publishing company it is today. We focus on bringing you all things fun so you can plan your theme park vacation, enjoy Disney at home, and more.
© 2005–2024 JAK Schmidt, Inc. All rights reserved.
ABOUT
PRIVACY POLICY & TERMS OF SERVICE
By using this site you agree to our privacy policy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Inside the Magic.
