Disney+ shows us a bleak future

Disney+ customers are in for a nasty surprise. One of the most successful films of all time disappeared from Disney’s streaming offer overnight, apparently for no reason. But if you take a closer look, you can see the strategy behind it – and that doesn’t bode well.

A comment by Felix Gräber

Customers look down the drain: Disney+ throws out Avatar

I hope you’re not one of those unlucky Disney+ subscribers who’ve been wanting to Avatar – Departure for Pandora to look at Because in this case you have bad cards. The story of the colonization – and exploitation – of the planet Pandora and the clashes between humans and the native Na’vi can no longer be found there.

According to reports and complaints online, Disney has disappeared without comment James Cameron’s one of the highest-grossing films of all time. You want it almost a cloak-and-dagger operation to name. It’s actually nothing unusual for films and series to come and go on streaming services. Licenses are usually only granted by the rights holders for a limited period of time and then Netflix, Prime Video and Co. can only show the content for a certain period of time. Often Disney is even the side that ensures that their content is no longer shown elsewhere.

At Disney, however, the case looks different, because Avatar is owned by the mouse company. No one else is standing in the background and can ensure that the film disappears from Disney + – and that only a few months before part 2 of the Avatar series finally appears after years of waiting. But wait a minute that can’t be a coincidence, can it?

Not at all: Rather, Disney should see an opportunity to make even more money. Before part 2 of the series – The Way of Water – appears in December, you bring namely a revised version of the first part again in the cinemas. Start is on September 22nd. If you want, you can then watch the breathtaking worlds on the big screen again to refresh your memories before part 2 begins.

The trailer gives you an impression of how Avatar has developed in recent years:

So that it’s worth it and not just have all viewers stream it again on Disney+ instead, which you might not remember exactly after 13 years, Disney just took the film out of the streaming program. A pretty strong piece that you put in front of the paying customers – or rather not. It’s not the only questionable action we’ve recently seen on Disney+.

We are at the mercy of Disney, Amazon and Netflix

The case proves again: Disney can do pretty much anything you set your mind to with its streaming customers. However, the mouse company is not alone in this. Sony, for example, had recently gone a big step further. The PS5 maker has unceremoniously removed purchased movies from its streaming library. The customers had actually purchased the digital copy in full, not just purchased streaming access. Sony and Disney show how dependent digital products make us customers on the providers.