Some Viewers Will Get a Free, Early Look at Disney's Streaming Service

Disney+, Disney’s streaming service, won’t officially launch until Nov. 12. But some viewers are able to tune in today—and they don’t have to pay a penny.

The Walt Disney Company has launched a free trial period of Disney+ in the Netherlands, to help it optimize the platform and work out any kinks in the system. Viewers have access to a selection of films and series, though it’s unlikely that exclusive programming, such as The Mandalorian, a new show set in the Star Wars universe, are being screened.

Dutch customers can sign up now for the trial, which will convert them to paying customers on Nov. 12, though they can cancel any time. The trial is testing Disney+ on a variety of platforms, including streaming media devices (though not Amazon’s FireTV), smart TVs, game consoles, and mobile devices.

CEO Bob Iger has called the streaming service “the biggest priority of the company” in 2019. It’s looking to steal some of the dominance Netflix and Amazon have built in the direct-to-consumer video marketspace. It is a gamble, though. By keeping films like Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame exclusive to its platform, it’s foregoing roughly $300 million in annual revenue.

Disney+ will cost $6.99 monthly, or $12.99 as part of a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+—the same price as Netflix.