How Disney Wants to Take On Netflix With Its Own Streaming Services
LOS ANGELES — Disney unveiled plans on Tuesday for Netflix-style streaming services for sports programming from ESPN and Disney movies.
Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said the acquisition would help his company compete with streaming giants like Netflix
and Amazon by introducing a video home base for all things Disney.
For the last two years, Disney has not been to convince investors
that ESPN, its longtime growth engine, will keep chugging away — albeit more slowly — even as the network deals with the subscriber erosion that is buffeting the broader cable television business.
The first one will offer ESPN programming, including baseball, hockey, tennis
and college sports — about 10,000 regional and national events in its first year.
The company said it would pay $1.58 billion for an additional 42 percent stake in BamTech.
Its efforts have included paying $1 billion last year for a 33 percent stake in BamTech, which handles streaming for baseball teams and HBO.