Is the Disney Empire Getting Ready to Take Over Netflix?

Disney may be getting ready to acquire Netflix, adding to their already expansive multimedia empire. From Collider:

… Bob Iger is getting ready to retire as Disney CEO in 2018, and a possible candidate could be Netflix’s CEO, Reed Hastings. Netflix and Disney are already in bed together with The Defenders series (a string of original series from Marvel), as well as getting the first run at a TV release for all live-action and animated films from Disney, beginning with this year’s slate. (Zootopia is already streaming on the platform.)

Netflix is already the standard-bearer among streaming video services. This deal would widen their lead.

… one possible scenario could mean the entire Disney library — including shows on Disney Channel and Disney XD — could end up exclusively on Netflix. If that happens, they’d be even harder to beat. These seems like a scary prospect from a competing business’ standpoint.

But great for consumers. Added value is never a bad thing.

It’s amazing to consider how radically content distribution has changed in the past few years. It wasn’t that long ago that Netflix streaming was considered a side-benefit to their disc rental subscription. That has completely flipped, and streaming has become a primary distribution method.

It’s nice to see a player like Disney embrace that and adjust their business model accordingly. Competitors may fear the implications. But that’s a good thing. It will drive them to up their game and find their own ways to add value.