When is Disney+ coming to the UK and is it worth buying?

Disney+, the new streaming service from Disney, is to launch a week earlier than expected in the UK.

It went live in several countries, including the US and Canada, in November, when TechRadar called it “a force to be reckoned with”.

“If Disney keeps it updated with new content, Disney Plus could rival Netflix sooner rather than later,” said the site.

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CNET awarded the service its Editors’ Choice award last month. “Just like seemingly everything else Disney does, from Avengers: Endgame to Rise of Skywalker to Galaxy's Edge to Rise of the Resistance, its new streaming service is a phenomenon.”

So what exactly will Disney+ offer viewers?

Disney+ is designed to rival Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the upcoming Britbox, featuring films and TV shows from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and its own studio, plus a library of classics, the Evening Standard reports.

TechAdvisor says that although Disney is “late to the streaming game, it’s still got a ma-hoo-sive library of content to choose from, including 2019’s additions, Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame”, along with shows and movies produced by the company dating back as far as the 1930s.

That library is even bigger thanks to Disney’s $71.3bn (£55.5bn) acquisition last year of a number of 21st Century Fox’s key assets.

“Fans of The Simpsons can also catch every single episode, seeing as Fox is the latest pawn in the Disney game,” TechAdvisor reports.

Disney+ will be available via an app on smart TVs and mobile devices, as well as through internet browsers. Users will also be able to download content to watch offline.

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When does it launch in the UK?

Disney+ will launch in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain on 24 March.

How much will it cost?

Viewers in the UK will pay £5.99 a month, or £59.99 for an annual subscription.

In the US, Disney+ costs $6.99 (£5.36) per month.

“The UK price was predictable given the aggressive US charge and the trend of a race to the bottom in terms of price - none of these services are going to make money for years,” Tom Harrington at Enders Analysis told the BBC.