The new OTT, Disney Plus has arrived

Behind-the-scenes of Disney Plus

100 years worth of Disney content spread out like a panorama

Disney Plus, reaching 100 million people two months earlier than Netflix

[해외 특파원 1기 / 박주영 기자] Various OTT(Over-the-top media services) platforms such as Netflix, Watcha, and Tving are emerging now, especially as people are spending more time at home. Disney Plus, released in South Korea on November 12th, 2021, is Walt Disney’s first online video service (OTT). It is an operating service created by Disney to compete directly against Netflix, allowing subscribers to view more than 7500 TV series and 500 movies on Disney+. In particular, content based on a strong fandom such as Marvel and Star Wars can be viewed as originals, and even IMAX is supported.

  Disney Plus has received a lot of attention even before its launch as it is one platform that brings together world-famous companies such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. On the day Disney Plus was released, 100 years worth of Disney content from ‘Mickey Mouse’ to ‘Frozen’, including Marvel’s hero films such as ‘Avengers’, spread like a panorama, making it possible for its viewers to realize its infinitesimal potential.

  The fun collection setting that induces a ‘drive to look’ also drew attention. ‘The Infinity Saga (Legend)’, which collects the stories of Marvel heroes, ‘Star Wars Skywalker Saga’ and ‘Darth Vader Collection’, where you can see the Star Wars series by chronology, are representative examples. The ‘Musical Collection’, a collection of animations made into musicals, and the ‘Princess Collection’ focusing on Disney and Pixar works that children love were also introduced.This convenient system was introduced to differentiate it from other OTT platforms. You can also enjoy the latest releases such as “Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings,” and original content unique to Disney Plus, such as “Wanda Vision” and “Loki.” In addition to these latest works, there are many popular series of the early 2000s, such as ‘The X-Files’ and ‘Criminal Minds’.

  In addition, South Korean entertainment content, tv shows and movies are also provided. South Korea’s first original entertainment show ‘Running Man’ was released on the day Disney Plus was launched. Disney Plus provides existing Korean tv shows such as the dramas ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Monster’. Although the scale is much  compared to Netflix, it is expected to secure a variety of pieces soon as it develops into a larger platform. Nevertheless, it has been identified that the subtitle translations of some works were not smooth, disappointing the majority of the viewers. Foreign viewers of Korean shows  are raising the issue that the subtitles are difficult to understand.

Currently, Disney+ have successfully reached 100 million subscribers in a span of , which is two months faster than Netflix. Disney+ is cheaper than Netflix (9,500 to 14,500 won per month) as it offers a single plan at the price of 9,900 won per month (for four people). Recently, Netflix have increased their prices which have resulted in subscribers turning away. There are various contents that can be viewed for all age groups, and most importantly, you can watch the behind-the-scenes stories of movies, NG scenes, and making videos. The biggest advantage of Disney+ is that it supports HDR streaming in up to 4K resolution at no additional charges, and all content is downloadable.

Disney Plus is definitely cheaper and of higher quality than Netflix, Watcha, and Tving in terms of IP and price, and it has an added benefit of being able to enjoy works in the IMAX aspect ratio. However, the censorship itself is very severe, and there is a fatal disadvantage that an additional fee is added to see the latest movies. Still, many are looking forward to its establishment as it grows.

  While domestic OTTs such as Wavve and Tving are expected to be a hit, the South Korean OTT Council released a statement on November 11th, 2021, titled ‘The OTT Promotion Act, are you going to pass it on to the market?’ They urged the passage of a bill to support domestic OTT, stating that there should be minimum regulations on OTT platforms to strengthen the competitiveness of the Korean OTT industry.