Disney makes cross-platform mobile deal with Apple, Google for watching movies

Global Business

Google and Apple not only divide Silicon Valley, but also much of the mobile computing world. However, one powerful company has found a way to get the bitter rivals to play nicely together in the world of streaming content.

Disney has long described its entertainment realm as magical. Through the Disney Movies Anywhere app, users can now play Disney movies through both Apple and Google Android devices, no matter where the movie was originally purchased.

“I think it’s just actually catching up with an era that has already begun because people have stopped to buy Blu-ray discs and DVD’s and even rentals are going down. Now the studios are waking up and saying wait a minute, what can we do to get people to pay for these movies, paying a lot for these movies right after they come out,” said Janko Roettgers, senior writer at Gigaom. So they are catching up with things consumers have been doing for a long time.”

Apple and Disney have long had a close relationship. Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs was serving as the chairman of Pixar when it was acquired by Disney. Jobs became Disney’s largest individual shareholder and gained a seat on the board.

Google prides itself on being a more open ecosystem, so this move fits in with that mantra. But Google and Apple only make money when a film is actually purchased from their own respective store.

Because digital copies also come with DVD purchases, Disney’s ultimate hope is to convince customers it’s still worth it to buy movies from retail stores. But tech watchers like Roettgers believe that’s a case of Hollywood clinging to an old model and that in time it may have to just let it go.

CCTV’s Mark Niu reported this story.