Disney reveals UK streamer

Disney is launching a direct-to-consumer streaming service in the UK, making a catalogue of its films and TV series available online to subscribers.

The DisneyLife app will include Disney Pixar movies, Disney Channels TV box sets, books and music in five languages – English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

It will launch in November, available on iOS and Android for tablets and mobiles, with other European launches planned after its UK bow.

The opening subscription price is £9.99 (US$15.45) a month and content will be available for temporary download to be watched offline. Each membership will come with up to six member profiles, which can be personalised using classic Disney characters.

Parental controls on time limits for weekday and weekend use will be included.

Exact titles to be carried by DisneyLife are yet to be revealed but the launch follows similar moves from the likes of HBO and Showtime in the US as individual media firms attempt to stop the bleed of their audience from linear to online aggregating streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said: “Families are accessing entertainment in completely new ways but their love for Disney and our unique characters and stories remains the same.

“DisneyLife is a great example of our strategy to utilise technology to connect with consumers in more direct and compelling ways, something only Disney can do.”

It is not yet clear exactly what content will be available, but it is known that Disney and Disney Pixar movies will be in the library window.