A potential launch date for the program and its membership costs have not been disclosed.
The Walt Disney Company is reportedly looking at establishing a new Amazon Prime-style membership program that would offer customers discounts and special perks.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney is in the “early stages” of discussing the program and has not yet established a potential launch date for the scheme or outlined its membership costs. Instead, the company has been studying Amazon Prime, which offers advantages such as free shipping, and Apple One, which bundles premium services into tiered packages, to consider various options for its own plan.
Insiders claim that Disney's primary goal is to create a program that encourages members to spend more on its streaming services, theme parks, resorts and merchandise while also collecting valuable intel on customers purchasing habits by reviewing “data about which shows they watched, trips they took and merchandise they purchased” to better understand the preferences of each individual subscriber.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Preview Screenshots
Disney's new membership program would reportedly target more casual Disney fans and customers, separating it out from the company's D23 Official Fan Club, which currently costs $99.99-$129.99 a year. Some executives have allegedly dubbed the company's next initiative “Disney Prime,” though the WSJ asserts that title is only being used internally and won't be the name of the service.
“Technology is giving us new ways to customize and personalize the consumer experience so that we are delivering entertainment, experiences and products that are most relevant to each of our guests,” said Kristina Schake, senior executive vice president and chief communications officer at Disney, in a statement. “A membership program is just one of the exciting ideas that is being explored.”
Plans are still in the process of being formulated so all of the details are not yet ironed out. However, people familiar with the discussions have claimed that the Amazon-like membership program could include perks from third parties, such as discounted tickets for Disney shows on Broadway, in addition to cross-selling across its various platforms to forge a better link between its products and services.
As a first step, the company expects to introduce a retail feature to Disney+ sometime this year, which will enable subscribers to buy merchandise associated with the platform's various streaming titles by scanning a QR code that redirects customers to the ShopDisney website. Some merchandise tie-ins may even be exclusive to Disney+ users as an additional perk for those with a subscription.
D23 is right around the corner, and it is going to be bigger than ever this year. The Expo is running from September 9 to September 11, and for the first time ever, it will feature a Disney and Marvel Games showcase, with brand new video game announcements from the likes of Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and more.
Stay tuned to IGN for all of the latest news and reveals from the event.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.