Disney Deluxe (ディズニーデラックス) was a Japanese subscription video streaming service owned and operated by the Walt Disney Japan and NTT Docomo.
 | |
Type of site | OTT streaming platform |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | June 11, 2020 |
| Successor(s) | Disney+ in Japan |
| Area served | Japan |
| Owner |
|
| Key people | Tony Ellison (Vice President & General Manager of Walt Disney Japan) |
| URL | www |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | March 26, 2019 |
| Current status | Defunct |
Overview
editOn March 7, 2019, Walt Disney Japan and NTT Docomo announced that they would launch a video streaming service called Disney Deluxe on March 26. The service offered video content from four of Disney's owned brands: Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, and the monthly subscription fee was 756 yen.[1]
The Walt Disney Company had planned to launch its streaming service Disney+ in the second half of the year, but Tony Ellison, Vice President & General Manager of Walt Disney Japan, stated that "Disney Deluxe" was a separate service from Disney+ and was born out of a special relationship with Docomo. Luke Kang, managing director of North Asia for the Walt Disney Company, also said, "We recognize Japan as a special market and have taken a special approach for Japan. In that context, we introduced Disney Deluxe."[2]
In addition to web browsers, Android, and iOS apps, Disney Deluxe was also compatible with Android TV-equipped televisions, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast. The highest video quality available for streaming was Full HD.[3] To subscribe, users were required to have a Docomo web service account called "d-account".
On April 10, 2019, Disney announced that Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was released in Japan on June 29 of the previous year, would be the first new movie available on Disney Deluxe, with streaming beginning on April 17.[4]
On August 7, 2019, Disney announced that the Disney Channel original movie Descendants 3 would be available for streaming on Disney Deluxe on September 13 in Japan ahead of its first broadcast in the country.[5]
The Mandalorian was exclusively available for streaming on Disney+ in the United States, but on December 26, 2019, it became available for streaming on Disney Deluxe in Japan.[2]
On April 8, 2020, Kevin Mayer, Disney's streaming chairman, announced that the number of Disney+ subscribers had exceeded 50 million, and at the same time, he stated that the service would be launched in Japan.[6] However, no specific details such as the launch date or pricing were disclosed, and it was reported that it would be a separate service from Disney Deluxe.[7]
On May 28, 2020, Walt Disney Japan announced that it would begin offering Disney+ in Japan through an exclusive partnership with Docomo starting June 11, 2020.[8] Disney+ was not a separate service from Disney Deluxe, but was launched as an updated version of Disney Deluxe. Existing Disney Deluxe subscribers were automatically transitioned to Disney+ without any additional fees or changes to their contracts.[9][8]
References
edit- ^ "Japan's NTT Docomo clinches Disney streaming deal". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ a b "ディズニー＆ドコモ「Disney DELUXE」発表 スター・ウォーズ、マーベル作品が見放題｜シネマトゥデイ". シネマトゥデイ (in Japanese). 7 March 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ 株式会社インプレス (2019-03-26). "月額700円のディズニー見放題配信「Disney Deluxe」26日開始". AV Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ "「Disney DELUXE」に新作映画が初登場 「ハン・ソロ／スター・ウォーズ・ストーリー」 ４月１７日（水）より配信開始". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ "ディズニー『ディセンダント3』ディズニーデラックスで先行配信". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (2020-04-09). "Disney Plus Racks Up 50 Million Subscribers in 5 Months". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "米ディズニーの動画配信、日本でも20年後半に開始 - 日本経済新聞". www.nikkei.com. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ a b 日経クロステック（xTECH） (28 May 2020). "「Disney+」が6月11日に日本上陸、NTTドコモと協業し月額利用料700円で提供". 日経クロステック（xTECH） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2020-05-28). "Disney Plus to Launch in Japan in June". Variety. Retrieved 2023-04-25.