Disney needs a face for its as-yet-unnamed streaming service, and they just found one. Get to know this name: Kevin Swint, you’re going to be hearing a lot about him and from him over the next few years. Swint has been named the SVP and GM of Disney’s SVOD (Streaming Video On-Demand) service, charged with building and running the service, according to Variety.
Swint may not (yet) have the cache of a Bezos (Amazon) or a Hastings (Netflix), but he’s diving headfirst into one of Hollywood’s top power positions. Swint, kind of rolls off the tongue, right? Swint will head-up a streaming service with the potential to go head-to-head with Netflix and Hulu, and also possibly dealing knock-out blows to lesser services like CBS All-Access.
Related – Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox, Properties Like X-Men, Avatar, Fantastic Four
Swint must address a bunch of unanswered questions regarding the scope and depth of offerings in the Disney service, which is slated to launch by the end of 2019. How will Disney integrate Fox properties (including R-rated fare like Deadpool)? Will Disney maintain its partial ownership of Hulu (once the Fox deal settles, Disney will own 60 percent of Hulu)? What happens to the growing mountain of Marvel TV shows scattered across non-Disney-owned networks, cable, and streaming services?
Disney has already announced that they will not renew their distribution relationship with Netflix, although the existing Marvel series (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Punisher) will continue, for now. Swint will have two major issues to address sooner rather than later: what is the service’s monthly subscription cost, and what is their killer app? Both are crucial to their success, as Disney will be chasing Netflix’s 100 million subscriber base while also searching for their own Handmaid’s Tale or Stranger Things.
Being the face of Disney’s new SVOD is a huge challenge, and we’ll be watching for Swint to get in front of the media. Stay tuned.
What are your expectations for Disney’s new SVOD service? Let us know in the comments down below!
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SOURCE: Variety
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