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In a major reshuffle, Disney+ recently ousted one of its most-watched shows in a historic sweep of content. The company stirred up the media after its unprecedented announcement of plans to remove some of its premium content from Disney+ and Hulu.
This is a cost-saving maneuver by the studio in response to the entertainment industry’s ongoing financial difficulties. It comes from years of over-investment in streaming content that has failed to generate sufficient returns.
Many of the services’ original series and films were deleted in the purge, rendering them legally unviewable. This included several lesser-known shows and movies and a few Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios projects.
Disney+ is dropping a hugely popular series willow Although in higher demand
New data indicates that Disney+ has left out one of its most popular series in this important content sweep. An analysis by Parrot Analytics (as reported in The Wrap) revealed that Lucasfilm’s willow Series were ranked in the top 10% in terms of popularity/demand during the first quarter of 2023 before they were removed from Disney+.
Parrot Analytics calculates “on-demand” by aggregating like, engagement, and views across social media platforms, as well as user activity on platforms such as Wikipedia and free streaming sites.
This joint demand is then measured against the demand for the average supply over a similar time frame. Among the series removed during the purge, willow It emerged as the most popular, generating 14.6 times more demand than average supply.
More than 30 films removed from the service contributed only 1.9% of the total demand, including movies and TV shows. For comparison, The MandalorianAnd The most requested chain on the platform during the same period, it accounted for 1.3% of the total demand.
Despite its popularity, willow It was the only show in the top 10% of the ordered series to be removed.
willowSudden demise: Disney’s bold pivot to quality over quantity
Disney and many other studios are beginning to rethink the high spending on streaming services, which necessitates cuts. While many canceled projects lack sufficient viewership or demand to justify the cost of keeping them on the service, willows removal is particularly surprising.
Recent data from Parrot Analytics confirms that the spin-off, a revival of the beloved 1988 Lucasfilm fantasy hit, was in demand next. However, the studio abruptly discontinued the show less than six months after it began, likely due to its failure to reach its ambitious standards.
At the conclusion of the first season of willowDisney, in collaboration with Lucasfilm, has announced a new commitment to prioritizing quality over size. This was concurrent with a resolution willow It will not be renewed for a second season, thus bringing the Warwick Davis series to an end after just eight episodes.
A plausible scenario would have seen the subsequent season become a blockbuster, propelled by a domino effect of positive chatter after the conclusion of the inaugural season, similar to the current hype surrounding spider verse 2.
However, Disney decided to terminate the series, remove it from the service, and cease any further investment in the series willow. While the move may have been wise financially, it could also cause Disney to have second thoughts.
However, given the diminishing returns on streaming originals, that may have finally worked out for the best willow Removed from the platform.
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