Nine In Talks With Disney For A Hulu / Disney+ Deal
Disney is set to launch its own streaming service, Disney+ in the US on November 12th, but very little is known about its rollout in other countries and according to a report from the Australian Financial Review, Disney are in talks with Nine about a partnership, to bring Hulu and Disney+ to Australia.
Nine’s own streaming platform, Stan, currently hosts a large library of Disney content, but was only a temporary solution until December. A number of Hulu Originals are also available on Stan.
Disney is planning on making Disney+ a global streaming platform, but their rollout plan will take them years to complete and they’ve said they are willing to work with local partners when necessary.
Lifehacker contacted Disney for a comment and were told:
“The platform has been built to be global, which gives us the ability to examine opportunities and move fast, if/when/where it makes sense in the future”
Recently, Foxtel chief Patrick Delany explained that their newest update will allow platforms like Disney+ to be integrated into their system, which they have already done with Netflix.
Lifehacker asked Foxtel about working with Disney and were told:
“Foxtel has a very good, long-standing relationship with Disney that has served Disney, Foxtel and our customers well. As with all of our partners, we remain in constant discussion with them regarding their content.”
Stan is already currently established as it has 1.6 million subscribers in Australia and its infrastructure would mean Disney could accelerate its launch of Disney+.
There is also speculation that Disney could purchase a 50% stake in Stan or could just purchase Stan from Nine and re-brand it to bring Hulu/Disney+ to Australia.
What do you think?