It doesn’t look like Disney+’s Premier Access is going away any time soon. Even though COVID-19 restrictions are easing in some countries, with theaters opening again after long periods of closure, Disney expects that some of its films will continue to be available through the Disney+ pay-gate.
Disney will also experiment with a reduced theatrical window, meaning films will arrive quicker on Disney+ than the traditional theater-to-streaming timeframe.
Why Is Premier Access Here to Stay?
On May 24, Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke at JPMorgan Chase’s Media and Communications conference. During a question and answer session, Chapek was quizzed about Premier Access and the theatrical window.
While Disney+ operates on monthly subscriptions, some of its content has been locked behind what it calls Premier Access. This involves paying a one-off fee for unlimited access to the content, a couple of months before it becomes available for general consumption on Disney+.
Disney has used Premier Access in the past for movies like Mulan, and even experimented with Premier Access pre-orders with Raya.
According to Chapek, Disney looks at many data points to determine whether something should arrive first on Disney+, through Premier Access, or in theaters.
He said that tentpole franchises, like a Marvel or Lucasfilm movie, are better served through traditional theatrical releases.
However, he did note that Marvel’s Black Widow is an exception to this because it’s already been delayed multiple times. As such, it’ll arrive simultaneously in theaters and through Premier Access.
It’s likely that this simultaneous release will continue for future films because Disney wants to give “the consumer choice to watch it in theaters if they feel comfortable” or “in the comfort and safety [of] their home”.
Films Will Arrive Quicker on Disney+
Disney is also experimenting with reduced theatrical windows for its films, meaning they will arrive on Disney+ quicker than is traditional.
Free Guy and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are due to release in theaters in August and September 2021 respectively. Both of these will arrive on Disney+ after 45 days.
Chapek hopes that the theatrical marketplace will have recovered from COVID-19 by then, though noted that the company will remain flexible.
He said that there was no reason for Disney+ to sit on a film for half a year before making it available for home consumption. Chapek believes that fans have demanded quicker turnaround times and that Disney is a “consumer friendly company” that responds to this changing behavior.
Chapek made similar comments when discussing the fact that Disney is closing 100 traditional TV channels this year, noting that the company’s core strategy is pivoting towards direct-to-consumer.