We often talk about how Netflix seems to have an unusual amount of money that the streaming service throws around seemingly at every project it encounters. But for as much as the streaming giant writes massive checks to whatever pitch comes its way, there’s still one big studio out there writing even bigger checks – Disney.
In a new report from Variety, which details the behind-the-scenes machinations of the upcoming Disney+ streaming service, it is revealed that the Mouse House is likely going to outspend every other studio in Hollywood, and account for roughly 22% of the total spent on global content in 2019.
Obviously, with a streaming service set to launch and just about every major franchise under its roof, Disney has to spend the big bucks to satisfy fans. And in 2019, the studio will do just that. The report claims that Disney will spend roughly $16.4 billion this year on content. That doesn’t even take into account the sports budget, which raises the company’s total expenditure to an astonishing $23.8 billion.
The closest rivals are AT&T/Time Warner, which is expected to spend approximately $14.3 billion and the aforementioned Netflix, which will spend $14 billion. Yes, that means that taking sports out of the equation, Disney will outspend Netflix by over $2 billion this year alone.
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The report also states that the Mouse House is expected to spend upwards of $500 million just for original content for Disney+, which is set to launch in the latter part of 2019. This includes the massively expensive shows like “The Mandalorian,” as well as films like “Lady and the Tramp.”
2019 is a massive year for Disney, as the Fox purchase is expected to be completed by March, and the aforementioned streaming service is set to launch. It’ll be interesting to see how well the studio stands up against the behemoths like Netflix in the streaming space. We already know the studio has dominated the theatrical realm by a wide margin.