Disney clarifies that less than 2% of its total catalog is affected by the cancellation of well-reviewed series and movies from Disney Plus, such as A Small Light and Togo.
Exclusive: "We constantly evaluate our titles and conduct appraisals."
Disney has decided to remove several programs and movies from its streaming platform Disney Plus, which has caused discontent among fans. This announcement was made on September 29 and revealed that several original productions from Disney Plus have been permanently removed from the platform's library.
Among the most notable works that have been taken away are "A Small Light," an acclaimed historical drama series that had a 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and "Togo," an adventure drama starring Willem Dafoe, which had a 92% rating. In total, 25 titles were reported to no longer be available for streaming.
The complete list of removed titles includes:
- America’s Funniest Home Videos: Animal Edition
- A Small Light
- The Biggest Little Farm: The Return
- Cesar Millan: Better Human, Better Dog
- Farm Dreams
- Freeks
- Genius MLX/X
- Going Fur Gold
- Hailey’s On It
- Home In The Wild
- Living For The Dead
- Locked Up: Abroad
- Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez
- Love In Fairhope
- Narco Wars
- Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins
- Pretty Freaking Scary
- Saturdays
- Superhot: The Spicy World Of Pepper People
- Science Fair: The Series
- Science Fair
- Togo
- Top Ten: 80’s
- Wicked Tuna
- Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks Showdown
This issue has not been limited to certain countries; it has been confirmed that in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, none of these titles are available for viewers, suggesting that the removal is global. Aside from this, "A Small Light," which debuted exclusively on Hulu in the United States, has also been removed from that sister platform.
The reaction from subscribers on social media has been intense, with many expressing their discontent over the sudden removal of these titles. When asked about this decision, Disney explained that they regularly review their content and make decisions based on what is most viable for the business. They assured that less than 2% of their total global catalog has been affected by this measure and that fans still have access to a wide variety of Disney entertainment.
However, this is not the first time Disney Plus subscribers have expressed frustration. In May 2023, multiple removals of programs were already reported, including "Willow," "Pistol," and "Y: The Last Man." Additionally, in August, two highly anticipated original productions, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and "Nautilus," were canceled just before their premiere, and were moved to other platforms like The Roku Channel and Prime Video.
Although the removals in terms of films have not been as dramatic, it is noteworthy that "Crater," a film released in 2023, was taken down just two months after its launch on Disney Plus. This situation reflects the company’s strategy to eliminate content that does not meet expected performance.
The decision to remove these titles comes at a delicate time for Disney, which is facing rumors about a possible price increase for Disney Plus and the recent confirmation of costs associated with password sharing. Amidst all this controversy, the company would surely prefer not to add more dissatisfaction to its user base.
