Disney is reportedly making the “strategic move” to pull several series and specials from its streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Hulu, effective May 26 Come from Sports betting site VPbet . This includes very recently released shows, including Willow, which debuted in November 2022.
The intention was disclosed during Disney’s recent earnings call (via Deadline), and is expected to incur a content impairment charge of $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion, according to unnamed sources.
Among the prominent shows leaving Disney+ are Willow, Big Shot, Turner & Hooch, Just Beyond, Mysterious Benedict Society, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. On Hulu, viewers will bid farewell to Y: The Last Man, Dollface, The Hot Zone, Maggie, Pistol, and Little Demon. The content overhaul reflects Disney’s efforts to align its content curation strategy with evolving market dynamics.
“We are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation,” CFO Christine McCarthy said.
While details about the specific content to be removed were initially withheld, the announcement sends a clear signal that Disney is focused on optimizing profitability amid the rapidly shifting streaming landscape. It’s unclear what the exact motivating factor is, but not having to pay residuals could be on the list of reasons.
Disney’s move follows a broader trend within the industry, as media companies reassess their streaming platforms’ content offerings and evaluate cost structures. Warner Bros. Discovery recently removed a significant number of series from HBO Max, while AMC and Showtime have also undergone similar content reductions.
Here is a partial list of some of the titles that will be removed, plus their corresponding platforms:
- Be Our Chef (Disney+)
- Best In Dough (Hulu)
- Best In Snow (Hulu)
- Big Shot (Disney+)
- Disney Fairy Tale Weddings (Disney+)
- Dollface (Hulu)
- Earth To Ned (Disney+)
- Everything’s Trash (Hulu)
- Foodtastic (Disney+)
- Howard (Disney+)
- It’s a Dog’s Life With Bill Farmer (Disney+)
- Just Beyond (Disney+)
- Little Demon (Hulu)
- Love In The Time Of Corona (Hulu)
- Maggie (Hulu)
- Magic Camp (Disney+)
- Pistol (Hulu)
- Stuntman (Disney+)
- The Hot Zone (Hulu)
- The Making Of Willow (Disney+)
- The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
- The One And Only Ivan (Disney+)
- The Premise (Hulu)
- The Quest (Hulu)
- The World According To Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)
- Timmy Failure (Disney+)
- Turner & Hooch (Disney+)
- Willow (Disney+)
- Wolfgang (Disney+)
- Y: The Last Man (Hulu)