Here’s why Disney just may be able to compete with Netflix

Plenty of venerable media empires aspire to be players in the streaming wars. None is better positioned than Disney, which retooled its organization to deliver its own video services rather than license content to Netflix. “We’ll do a better job than others,” says direct-to-consumer chief Kevin Mayer. “We know [our] brands viscerally.” Disney+, a family-friendly streaming service debuting late this year, will mine Disney’s unparalleled portfolio, including new Star Wars, Avengers, and Monsters, Inc. shows; the Fox acquisition gives the company even more content assets, plus control of Hulu and its 25 million customers. In 2018, Disney launched the ESPN+ streaming service and racked up a million subscribers in five months–valuable experience, Mayer says, as it learns to convert loyal fans into paying customers.