The Battle of the Titans
Disney has two of the biggest franchises in entertainment history under its belt: Marvel and Star Wars. Both have legions of fans, blockbuster movies, and merchandise that you can find in virtually every store. But when it comes to Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+, which franchise is pulling in more viewers? The answer might surprise you.
The Marvelous Rise of Marvel
“Ever since Disney acquired Marvel Studios in 2009, the company has managed to develop the once-overlooked superhero franchise into a multi-billion dollar brand,” with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame becoming two of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Marvel characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow are now household names.
Disney has even built Avengers Campus themed areas in several of their parks, including Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris.
Star Wars: The Force is Strong
Disney purchased Lucasfilm for a record-breaking $4.05 billion in 2012, and despite some mixed reviews, the partnership has been incredibly lucrative. J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens crossed the $2 billion mark at the international box office. Disney+ series like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have also been massive hits.
“Today, you can’t go into any supermarket without seeing Baby Yoda’s adorable green face plastered on everything from backpacks to tee shirts,” proving the marketing might of Disney and Lucasfilm.
The Streaming Numbers Game
According to a new press release from Disney+, one franchise is reigning supreme in the viewership charts. “The Season 3 premiere of The Mandalorian, which hit Disney+ in March, and Ahsoka, garnered 14 million views in its first five days,” outpacing even the popular Loki series, which had 10.9 million views globally after three days of streaming.
“It’s unusual for platforms like Disney+ to share viewership figures,” but the numbers speak volumes. While Loki holds the crown for the most-watched original show on Disney+, the newer Star Wars series are catching up fast.
The Strategy Behind the Success
Lucasfilm has been more cautious with its release schedule, spacing out projects and generally giving their Disney+ shows higher budgets. This approach seems to be paying off, as Star Wars is generating more interest on the platform.
Marvel, on the other hand, has been churning out series at a rapid pace, leading some fans to experience “superhero fatigue,” as pointed out by Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger.
The Future of the Franchises
Both Marvel and Star Wars have exciting projects in the pipeline. The next episode of Loki lands on Disney+ this Thursday, and Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting new seasons of popular shows like Andor and The Mandalorian.
While Marvel has received rave reviews for Loki Season 2 and earlier entries like WandaVision, Star Wars has had its share of less-than-impressive Disney+ originals, like the poorly-reviewed Book of Boba Fett.
The Final Take
So, who’s winning the Disney+ showdown? For now, it looks like Star Wars has the edge, but Marvel is far from down and out. With both franchises set to release a slew of new content, the streaming wars are far from over. Only time will tell which franchise will ultimately come out on top.
Source: Insidethemagic
