Iger on Online Content

DizNews: Iger on Online Content

Really interesting press release about Bob Iger, Disney CEO this morning. Iger, when speaking at a cable industry, warned about charging too much for online content. I thought that this was particularly interesting given the direction, until the last few days, that I saw Disney’s online stuff going: pay-per-view or paid subscription. Iger said, "The consumer is king, not us the content provider and not you the distributor." "Preventing people from watching any shows online, unless they subscribe to some multichannel service, could be viewed as both anti-consumer and anti-technology, and would be something we would find difficult to embrace," he said.

My curiosity is peeked. I suspect that this means Disney has hard data stating that while we are happy to “pay” through watching advertising, most of us are unwilling to pay additional fees for online content. I read a few weeks back that their online subscription Pirates of the Caribbean Multi Player Game was struggling and I wonder as well about Club Penguin and other paid kids content. What do you all think? Are you willing to pay additional fees for online viewing of cable content? It seems with all the news these days about online content that Disney is casting it’s nets wide to see where the consumer chips fall as far as where the revenue is for online content. Disney has expanded it’s iTunes offerings, numerous YouTube channels, their own extensive online site and others in development. As a firm believer that in a day in the not very distant future your computer and television will be the same machine, I think that this is a wise marketing/business strategy.


World Wide Disney: Princess Fee’s detailed photos of the Pirates of the Caribbean themed rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort.


WDW Weather: Rainy Thundershowers. High of 83 F.


Disneyland Weather: Sunny. High of 65 F.