Disney+ quietly removes 176 historical films from its catalog

If you were in the mood to watch Disney Channel classics or vintage Disney movies this weekend, you may have noticed that the catalog of the streaming platform Disney+ has been the victim of a new purge of this type of contents.

Several decades thrown into oblivion

As reported by the Chronique Disney site, 176 titles have been removed from the Disney+ catalog on the European market of the SVOD service.

The list includes live-action films as well as animated films and TV films, although most of the removed content is Disney Channel productions and vintage live-action films.

In fact, almost all of the films released between the 1950s and 1980s are no longer available on the streaming platform, including titles such as The Spy with Velvet Paws, The Incredible Hike, The Treasure Run or Four Bassets for a Dane.

As for 20th Century Fox and National Geographic content, we also notice significant withdrawals such as that of the cult musical Hello, Dolly! with Barbra Streisand, but also the series genius each season of which focuses on a great genius in history (Aretha Franklin, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, etc.).

A concern for economy

The reason for this new big wave of withdrawals is the same as that given in a similar case in May 2023: Disney+ is looking to save money.

Although these titles are the property of Disney and therefore do not constitute licensed content, the company must still pay hosting fees and remunerate its content in rights when it offers it for streaming.

This therefore justifies, in his eyes, the need to remove the least popular titles from its catalog in order to save a few dollars. But is that enough? Will this content ever reappear on Disney+? The future will tell.

Regardless, the observation remains the same as during the last content purge on Disney+: it is better not to count on SVOD platforms to offer ad vitam aeternam your favorite films and series.

Physical media (DVD or Blu-ray) therefore still remain the safest bet for those who want to have access to their favorite content whenever they want.