‘Squid Game’ Isn’t for Disney, and That’s a Problem

[Captain Andy]

A really good opinion piece from Bloomberg Opinion exploring the success of Netflix's "Squid Game" and Disney +'s struggle with subscriber growth.

‘Squid Game’ Isn’t for Disney, and That’s a Problem
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...at-s-a-problem

"Disney+ had 116 million subscribers as of July 3, while Hulu had about 43 million across its different packages; Netflix had 209 million. Investors have been concerned that either company may have trouble growing its base much from here — or holding on to users tempted by the impressive programming on the other services lately."

[Captain Andy]

Disney has responded?

Disney wants some of Netflix's Asian success
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/14/m...00_cCsNLu0c1Eg

"The owner of Disney+ announced a major expansion into Asian content on Thursday, with plans to greenlight more than 50 original titles from the region by 2023.

Disney is commissioning new shows from South Korea, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Indonesia. Many of the programs will be presented in local languages, from Bahasa Indonesia to Mandarin.

The move comes as fans worldwide continue to buzz over "Squid Game," a South Korean hit from Netflix (NFLX) that has become the company's top show globally. The streaming king told CNN Business exclusively this week that it had been viewed by 111 million accounts since its rollout in September, making it the company's "biggest-ever" series launch.Netflix has been pouring money into original Asian language content, and the streaming service has touted the global success of its Korean and Japanese programs. It's also had hits with European series, including "Lupin," a French mystery thriller.

Jessica Kam-Engle, Disney's head of content and development for Asia Pacific, noted the popularity of Korean content in a presentation shown to the media on Thursday, saying that it had "evolved into a global phenomenon."

To capture that interest, the company unveiled a sneak peek of its own slate of upcoming Korean shows, including "Snowdrop," a romantic drama series starring Jisoo, a member of the popular K-pop band Blackpink."