November 16, 2023, 12:29 p.m. | Reading time: 6 minutes
Disney+ is offering different subscriptions for the first time since it launched in Germany in March 2020, including cheap access with advertising. TECHBOOK Editorial Director Rita Deutschbein had the opportunity to speak with Eun-Ky Park, Country Manager of The Walt Disney Company in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, about the current change but also the future plans of Disney+.
Streaming customers currently have to adapt to changes. Many providers adapt their range of available series and films, but also their subscriptions. This means more choice in both areas, but sometimes also more costs. Amazon Prime Video, for example, offers Freevee, a free but ad-financed additional streaming offer. Netflix has also been offering an advertising subscription for a year, has also been taking more action against account sharing for a few months and recently canceled the basic subscription.
Eun-Ky Park in an interview about Disney+ plans
Something is also moving at Disney+. For the first time in three and a half years, the streaming service in Germany is offering several subscriptions to choose from – an ad-financed offer and two ad-free accesses with different streaming quality. At the same time, the service is planning some high-profile new series, most of which will be produced in Germany and will run exclusively on Disney+.
More choice for customers, more customers for Disney+ – that could sum up the desired goal for both parties. During our conversation, Country Manager Eun-Ky Park gave us further insights into future projects and revealed what plans Disney+ has for the German market.
TECHBOOK: Ms. Park, you are Country Manager of The Walt Disney Company in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. What tasks are you responsible for exactly?
Eun-Ky Park: First of all, I couldn’t consider myself happier than to have become Country Manager in the 100th anniversary year. I am responsible for all business areas of the company, be it Disney+ including local productions, our TV channels such as the pay TV channel National Geographic, the free TV channel Disney Channel, our studios area, the licensing business or Disney Advertising.
How important is the Disney+ offering in Germany now?
After just 3.5 years (launch was in March 2020), we can see from the numbers that Disney+ has secured a firm and very good place among consumers.
What makes the offer so special or what makes Disney+ different from competing offers?
We’ve been entertaining people with great stories for 100 years. With Disney, Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios alone, we have seven cinema blockbuster creative studios.
We also receive high-quality films and series from our own TV studios or networks such as Disney Branded Television, FX, ABC, 20th Television and Hulu as well as sophisticated documentaries and films from National Geographic. There are also local and European originals. This unique mix of content makes us so special.
What does Disney+ expect from the new subscription with advertising? How do you assess the success in Germany, since advertising is much less accepted here than, for example, in the USA?
We know that subscribers – especially in Germany – understandably care about their wallets, and it is important that we offer them more flexibility and added value to reflect this aspect. For this reason, on November 1st we introduced two ad-free subscription models in nine countries in Europe as well as a new, cheaper ad-financed model for 5.99 euros per month. This allows customers to choose what best suits their needs and budget.
We know that consumers have more streaming options than ever before and that value and value are the most important factors when deciding to subscribe. Many consumers also find that an ad-supported option helps them manage their budget better, and we want to give them more flexibility when choosing a subscription to suit their needs.
Disney is also a leader in the market for high-quality, premium advertising experiences. We have a long history of offering customer-focused advertising opportunities, providing advertisers with relevant reach and effectiveness. The Disney+ model “Standard with advertising” offers a completely new touchpoint for target groups that may no longer be reached in this way.
What plans does Disney+ have for the German market in terms of content? How do you want to retain and attract subscribers in the future?
We want to offer our customers the greatest possible flexibility with the same content and the best quality and that’s exactly what we’re doing with our three subscription models. We also focus on local Disney+ productions. In addition to the big brands, it is important to us to tell stories that have a very clear local connection. Why do we want to tell this story from Germany and why now? The stories we want to tell are not just intended to entertain, but to showcase different voices and perspectives.
Most recently, “Deutsches Haus” was launched on November 15th, the first filmic treatment of the Frankfurt Auschwitz trial from 1963. With Annette Hess as author and showrunner and Sabine de Mardt from Gaumont, the mini-series also combines a unique spectacle in front of the camera -Ensemble. Participating actors include Katharina Stark, Iris Berben, Heiner Lauterbach, Anke Engelke, Max von der Groeben and many more.
Disney+ reportedly wants to move away from event series. What projects can subscribers expect in the future? What plans does Disney+ have regarding Originals (specifically the big brands Star Wars, Marvel, etc.)?
We will continue with our successful mix of films, series and Disney+ originals in the future and are ideally positioned here. Our customers love streaming the latest series on Disney+, be it cult series like “The Simpsons” with 34 seasons, “Grey’s Anatomy” with 19 seasons or new releases like the third season of “Only Murders in the Building” or the second season of the FX series “The Bear”.
There will be fantastic new content from our major brands and studios on Disney+ in the coming months. A great example would be “Percy Jackson: The Series,” based on the Disney Hyperion bestselling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan.
How do you think about competition like Warner, Paramount+?
We value our competitors because competition stimulates the market and every media company certainly has its own strengths, special content and approaches.
Let’s stick with the competition, which also offers exclusive content. Many users now have multiple subscriptions with different providers. How much fragmentation can the streaming market still tolerate?
These are certainly turbulent times and we are also excited to see what the future will bring. But I can assure you that we at Disney are ideally positioned for this. We also work closely with our long-standing partners such as Deutsche Telekom in Germany, T-Mobile Austria in Austria and Swisscom in Switzerland, who provide our customers with attractive “tariff bundle offers”.
What will Disney+ look like in five years? Do you have a vision?
One thing I know for sure: as a creative content power house with 100 years of experience and our new Disney+ subscription models, we will do everything we can to remain at the forefront of the streaming market in the future.