In recent news, citizens of Israel, who are fans of the latest Marvel movies and television shows, as well as The Mandalorian, are in for a treat. Disney+ revealed that it is soon going to be launching in the Jewish state. It was further predicted that the streaming service will make an entry into the Israeli market in the fourth quarter of 2021. Most people have speculated that the launch will take place in September so that it can coincide with the holiday season of the Jews.
The streaming service was first launched in the year 2019. It was considered to be a formidable and instant opponent to Netflix. In the first day alone, it saw over 10 million signups, which exceeds the entire population of Israel. In the first five months, Disney+ had more than 50 million subscribers. As of today, the total number of subscribers is somewhere around 103 million, across the globe, whereas Netflix has 207 million.
Disney+ will be entering into the Israeli market, with an objective to penetrate a profitable and busy arena. Currently, Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video are primary providers of streaming services in the Jewish state. They cater to the needs of their customers by offering content that is tailored specifically for the entertainment of the locals. As per sources, the streaming service has already delivered 5,000 hours’ worth of content for translation and dubbing to Davidoff Studios. This also includes the latest Pixar-Disney animated film by the name Luca.
Before the year is out, audiences in Israel will have unrestricted access to the gigantic vault of content that Disney possesses. This will also include the Star Wars shows and movies, as well as the most successful and profitable fil franchise ever, namely the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moreover, the citizens of the Jewish state will have the opportunity to watch ESPN sports content, along with National Geographic.
Up until now, it is still not clear just how much the streaming service will charge from Israelis for its services. The monthly charge in the U.S. is $8, which is equal to 26 NIS, whereas the yearly charge is $80, which is equal to 260 NIS. On the other hand, the basic price charged by Netflix in the U.S. is $9 in a month and 33 NIS in the Jewish state. But this figure can go as high as 61 NIS, depending on the package chosen.
The market for streaming has now become a fragmented and crowded area, especially in the last couple of years. Most of the credit for this goes to the coronavirus, as well as the lockdown laws, which ensured that people stayed at home for at least a year. Various production companies are now rushing to launch their own streaming services and transfer all of their content there. Audiences are quite excited as their favorite movies and shows will now be spread across several streaming platforms.
NBC has introduced Peacock, which hosts well-known shows, such as Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, along with Downton Abbey. On the other hand, HBO MAX provides access to content, like the DC Extended Universe, classic movies produced by the Warner Brothers, as well as Friends.