Per Home Media Magazine:
The Walt Disney Co. is revamping its namesake website (Disney.com) to include access to proprietary video games and movies via subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), transactional VOD, ad-supported and micropayments such as PayPal, CEO Bob Iger told a technology conference.
Speaking June 2 at the D9 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Iger reiterated his long-standing commitment to digital distribution and embracing evolving technologies in home entertainment.
He said the Disney site over the next year would undergo “elements of a re-launch” designed to reflect the digital landscape and increasing consumer acceptance of it.
“We have a unique opportunity as Disney because it really is the only true global entertainment brand,” Iger said. “People go to Disney because they know its brand. We believe we have an opportunity to go with our content directly to the consumer.”
Without giving specifics, Iger is undoubtedly attempting to piggyback on growing consumer acceptance of Netflix streaming, content downloads via Apple iTunes, and transactional VOD on cable, among other venues.
Disney-owned ABC TV was an early supplier of content to iTunes. Disney during the dotcom era invested heavily in a content portal called Go.com, which like other studios’ forays into Internet-based distribution at the time (i.e. Warner’s Entertaindom.com spearheaded by upstart executive Kevin Tsujihara), was doomed to failure due to lack of required broadband connectivity in U.S. homes and the rising popularity of the DVD.
Indeed, Disney would end up cutting hundreds of employees and writing off $800 million on the Go.com venture.
Today, Iger maintains being platform agnostic, preferring to offer Disney content across the widest possible distribution channels. He is just as motivated to offer Disney content to Netflix and rental kiosks, as he is to license content to smartphones and tablet computers.
“Whatever platforms emerge, we are looking at as having the same potential that home video had for the movie business,” he said, “which means there are entirely new opportunities to monetize our capital investments in content and do so in ways that work for distributors, for consumers and for creators.”
The Walt Disney Co. is revamping its namesake website (Disney.com) to include access to proprietary video games and movies via subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), transactional VOD, ad-supported and micropayments such as PayPal, CEO Bob Iger told a technology conference.
Speaking June 2 at the D9 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Iger reiterated his long-standing commitment to digital distribution and embracing evolving technologies in home entertainment.
He said the Disney site over the next year would undergo “elements of a re-launch” designed to reflect the digital landscape and increasing consumer acceptance of it.
“We have a unique opportunity as Disney because it really is the only true global entertainment brand,” Iger said. “People go to Disney because they know its brand. We believe we have an opportunity to go with our content directly to the consumer.”
Without giving specifics, Iger is undoubtedly attempting to piggyback on growing consumer acceptance of Netflix streaming, content downloads via Apple iTunes, and transactional VOD on cable, among other venues.
Disney-owned ABC TV was an early supplier of content to iTunes. Disney during the dotcom era invested heavily in a content portal called Go.com, which like other studios’ forays into Internet-based distribution at the time (i.e. Warner’s Entertaindom.com spearheaded by upstart executive Kevin Tsujihara), was doomed to failure due to lack of required broadband connectivity in U.S. homes and the rising popularity of the DVD.
Indeed, Disney would end up cutting hundreds of employees and writing off $800 million on the Go.com venture.
Today, Iger maintains being platform agnostic, preferring to offer Disney content across the widest possible distribution channels. He is just as motivated to offer Disney content to Netflix and rental kiosks, as he is to license content to smartphones and tablet computers.
“Whatever platforms emerge, we are looking at as having the same potential that home video had for the movie business,” he said, “which means there are entirely new opportunities to monetize our capital investments in content and do so in ways that work for distributors, for consumers and for creators.”
