‘Disney Play' is the name Netflix will likely be cursing in 2019

The streaming service coming from Disney in 2019, and taking a bunch of its content with it from Netflix, will reportedly be known as ‘Disney Play.’

Variety reports that Disney CEO Bob Iger has used the name in references during the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, and again said that the company’s plan is to remove its marquee franchises in film and TV from Netflix to use as key selling points for subscribing to Disney Play.

However, Iger has reportedly also attempted to level investors’ expectation of the new service, stating that it will not deliver the same breadth of original content that Netflix is currently producing, nor will it pull absolutely everything from existing streaming and international licensing deals to pump up Disney Play. For instance, Disney has a broadcasting rights deal with Turner for Star Wars movies through 2022 that was signed in 2016, showing how recent Disney Play as a concept has been for the company.

Iger has also again recognized that Disney Play will be more affordable than Netflix, coming in at between $8 to $14 a month. Netflix currently costs $10.99 a month in the US for HD viewing.

This will no doubt be a massive blow to Netflix, which as until now enjoyed a massively popular collection of fantasy and sci-fi content for both children and adults. It’s no wonder, then that Netflix is spending billions annually on new content deals.

Set to launch in 2019, Variety reports Iger has called Disney Play “the biggest priority of the company during calendar [year] 2019.”