Disney+ To Reduce Bandwidth By 25% In Europe Due To The Coronavirus
Earlier this week, the European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton urged streaming services to opt for standard definition, to help protect the stability of the internet across Europe, because so many people are at home due to the Coronavirus.
Netflix, Youtube and Amazon have already agreed to temporarily reduce the bandwidth by 25%, with the President of Walt Disney France, confirming that Disney+ will do the same.
Hélène Etzi announced on Twitter (translated via Twitter)
A little more patience for our French fans, our streaming service #DisneyPlus is coming soon… but at the request of @gouvernementFR , we have agreed to postpone the launch until Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
Always concerned to act responsibly, Disney responds to the request of the European Commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton to support the collective effort for the proper functioning of broadband infrastructures.
In anticipation of high demand for #DisneyPlus , we are proactively implementing measures to reduce overall bandwidth usage by at least 25% in countries launching Disney + on March 24.
In the coming days, we will be monitoring Internet traffic and working closely with ISPs to further reduce speeds if necessary and to ensure that they are not overloaded with user demand.
We can’t wait to launch #DisneyPlus and hope our service will bring some comfort to families and our fans in these difficult and trying times.
Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer & International has confirmed via a statement:
“In line with Disney’s longstanding commitment to act responsibly, we are responding to the request of European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton to work together to ensure the smooth functioning of the broadband infrastructure. In anticipation of high consumer demand for Disney+, we are proactively instituting measures to lower our overall bandwidth utilization by at least 25% in all of the markets launching Disney+ on March 24th.
In the coming days, we will be monitoring Internet congestion and working closely with Internet service providers to further reduce bitrates as necessary to ensure they are not overwhelmed by consumer demand. We look forward to the launch of Disney+ and hope it will provide a much-needed respite for families in these challenging and trying times.”
He added: “To our French fans, the Disney+ service is coming, but at the request of the French government, we have agreed to postpone the launch until Tuesday, 7 April 2020.”
Disney+ will launch in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland on Tuesday March 24th.
What do you think of Disney reducing the quality of content to reduce bandwidth?