REUTERS: Apple Inc , the company that transformed the music, mobile and personal computing industries, is relying on the ubiquity of its iPhones and iPads to take on Disney and Netflix in the battle for streaming TV customers.
Apple's offerings are dwarfed by the extensive catalog of industry leader Netflix Inc , which has a reported US$10 billion budget for content and 151 million paid subscribers.Walt Disney Co's Disney+ - launching Nov. 12 - has helped lift the stock almost 20per cent in recent months. Disney boasts a deep library of Marvel's superhero hits, the Star Wars universe,"Toy Story" creator Pixar animation and the National Geographic channel.
Media executives and analysts believe that most households are willing to pay for more than one streaming service. Many believe subscribers are unlikely to cancel their Netflix subscription to pay for other services to pay for Disney+, instead subscribing to both. IAC Chairman Barry Diller told CNBC in July that Disney has the best chance of catching up to Netflix “because of its very, very popular content.