The Mystery of Disney+ Removals: Why Were Top Shows Like ‘Willow’ Canned? | Charts
Disney is the latest media company to trim back content on its streaming services as part of a larger cost-reduction strategy. The move reflected a wider industry trend toward reassessing costs and strategies to increase profitability. Warner Bros. Discovery has also culled several series from what’s now called Max, while both AMC and Showtime have made similar content cutbacks.
Among Disney+’s withdrawn titles, the show “Willow” was the most popular. During the first quarter of 2023, “Willow” saw demand 14.6 times higher than the average show, according to Parrot Analytics‘ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.
The more than 30 titles removed from Disney+ accounted for 1.9% of the total demand (both movies and TV shows) for the service’s offerings. Compare that to “The Mandalorian,” which at 1.3% of total demand was the most sought-after show on Disney+ during the same timeframe.
In contrast, Hulu, which has a broader content library and saw fewer titles removed, had a significantly lower share of demand represented by removed titles, at only 0.4%. Among the withdrawn titles, “Little Demon” and “Y: The Last Man” were the most popular during the first quarter of the year, but neither of these shows were among Hulu’s most sought-after titles.
So how well did the removed titles perform prior to their removal? In our analysis, we’ll concentrate on Disney+ TV shows, as they make up the bulk of the content that was taken down. Nearly two-thirds of these shows fell in the bottom half of shows ranked by viewer demand. Only “Willow” fell in the top 10%, but even with its considerable viewer interest, it didn’t meet the popularity levels the company anticipated given the significant investment in its production and promotion.
Between “Willow” and the shows falling in the bottom 50%, there were several titles that held a respectable demand level but did not qualify as hits. They included series like “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” and “The Right Stuff.” Both of these shows are Disney+ originals, which means their removal lands them in streaming’s netherworld — a harsh reality for fans, but particularly for the shows’ creators, who now have no way to point people toward their work.
Daniel Quinaud is a senior data analyst at Parrot Analytics, a WrapPRO partner. For more from Parrot Analytics, visit the Data and Analysis Hub.
Also Read:
Can Super Bundles Save Streaming? | Analysis
