Should Disney create a Marvel Channel?

[Spiderine]

Remember when Disney used to be a premium channel?

 

[Infinight888]

Marvel doesn't have the content to justify it. Netflix shows won't work, since they can't fit in an hour block and allow the same advertising.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Absolutely not. Marvel's going to destroy the cinema with its bloated slate. There is no reason to tank television.

Nah. What's going to destroy the cinema with any bloating is Warner, Fox, and whatever other studios with their vain attempts at copying Marvel's success.

 

[MakeMinesMarvel]

Disney Chief Robert Iger says that the entertainment conglomerate is considering putting together branded TV channels for their massively popular Marvel and Star Wars brands.

Daily Finance (via ScreenCrush) quote Iger as saying "We have said that with these channels and these brands — ESPN, ABC, Disney, maybe even down the road something related to Star Wars and Marvel — we do have an ability as a company to take product, specifically filmed entertainment, television, movies, directly to consumers."

Slashfilm suggests that could mean a Marvel Channel or a Star Wars Channel, although obviously the ambiguous wording could just as easily leave the door open for a more general genre-themed channel -- the House of Mouse's answer to NBC Universal's Syfy and similar networks -- which would presumably become an immediate industry leader by virtue of its access to Marvel and Lucasfilm content.

Not much in the way of details was offered, but stay tuned; the Slashfilm story suggests that it's likely we'll hear more from Iger.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

If it's a Marvel channel that encompasses all movies and television legally based on Marvel characters then sure. If it's a channel that only emcompasses Disney/Marvel then it's too shy of content so far.

Another ten years and they'd have enough content but so far not enough for a dedicated channel

Nah. What's going to destroy the cinema with any bloating is Warner, Fox, and whatever other studios with their vain attempts at copying Marvel's success.

Fox, Sony and WB were doing comic book movies and TV years and years before Marvel decided to join them, based on their success. If it weren't for them there'd be no MCU, show some respect.

 

[Random490]

One thing that needs to be pointed out is that Disney doesn't own the distributions rights to most of the past Marvel TV shows. They'd have to make an agreement to licensed them out. But the benefit of having a channel full of reruns is that you can build up revenue to release new content, that's pretty much Cartoon Network did. And while I agree that a Marvel or Star Wars centric channels are unlikely to be successful, I think a general channel focusing on Superheros/sci fi/action/adventures shows would be a great opportunity to grab a market no one else is trying. I know I loved those kinds of shows growing up and always wanted more of them, plus I would love to see them again in reruns.

 

[LastActionHero]

The animated Marvel shows can be a good idea for Disney channel!

 

[LastActionHero]

It's really a cool idea.

 

[DrCosmic]

a marvel cenrtic version of Netflix might work

Looking at this issue again, and focusing on what they're saying instead of the pie-in-the-sky dream of having a new cable channel featuring old Marvel cartoons... a Marvelflix actually does work. Should they have a Marvel Channel? No. SHould they have a Marvel Video Subscription Service? I think so.

Putting together a catalog can be relatively cheap and enter at a low price point. They may not have as much content as the WWE, but it's nothing to sneeze at either.

The big challenge would be exclusive content, since there's already a deal with Netflix you have to wonder what that deal entails in terms of long-term use of those properties. Perhaps once Defenders is done, they can/will relaunch those properties/stories/shows/characters on Marvel's subscription service. They may take some subscribers but most would get/keep both, I imagine.

After that, a bunch of old cartoons, some 'reality' content of interest, basically, make the channel a big giant glorified 'Bonus DVD features' for the MCU. First run on those kinds of 'making of' promos people love so much, interviews, Con Panels, Exclusive sneak peaks, stuff like that.

So first run content would be the Defenders family. If things go really well the could also do a sort of Midnight Sons family and bring in Blade, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing and, I dunno, Jennifer Kale, giving them 10 primetime shows to draw as original content. Extra points if ABC drops Agents of SHIELD (it won't, of course). Alternately, and I think this is what they were getting at, using Star Wars along with Marvel in their subscription service, and an original star wars live action show would basically bring all the eyeballs you can think of. Alternately they may be doing multiple connected subscription packages a la carte, where someone can have the MCU and Marvel (kids) Heroes while someone else has the MCU and Star Wars packages. But it seems smarter to have a higher price point and keep everything together.

Then the kids side, which is also crucial for it to become a widely demanded thing because the kids want it. You want to have the old cartoons there, but you kinda need the new cartoons. To that end, include all the old Star Wars cartoons as well.

Extra fun: include the various versions of the Original Trilogy, where you can view whichever one you want.

The more I think about, the more Marvel/Disney can slay with a subscription service. The only problem might be what to call it.

 

[3dman27]

how about toon marvel?

 

[Heretic]

I don't want a million premium services that I'd have to pay a monthly fee to watch. Frankly, I wouldn't do it. I want Netflix for movies and "event" type shows, and Hulu for shows I miss...and everything should be available on one of those two options (it drives me nuts that SyFy isn't on Hulu). It's kind of adorable that Yahoo and Playstation Network think they can join the fun, but I'd rather do without. All of the major movie companies are seeing what Netflix is doing and thinking they can get in on the act, but I don't see it working. They should just make a deal with Netflix to have a Marvel "channel"...an easy to click link on the main page that takes you to everything Marvel.

 

[3dman27]

that sounds sensiblle