Mulan to launch on third-party streaming services October 6

Disney has announced that Mulan will launch on third-party streaming services on October 6.

The company initially intended for its Summer blockbuster to launch in cinemas, but made the decision to make it available on Disney+ as a US$29.99/£19.99 premium purchase. The decision was met by controversy from potential viewers complaining that the film was expensive as a rental, and required a US$6.99 Disney+ subscription to watch.

The gamble reportedly paid off however, with a report from Yahoo using figures from 7Park Data estimating that 29% of US households that subscribe to the SVOD purchased the film between September 4-12. That translated to an estimated 9 million users and a total of US$261 million in the US alone, with the report calling this a conservative figure.

Now, the company has confirmed that users who held out will no longer require a Disney+ subscription, with the film coming to other platforms like Amazon, FandangoNow and Vudu.

Disney also has confirmed that the film will be available to stream on Disney+ as a regular title on December 6.

The news comes at a time when movie rentals via digital platforms have surged. According to a new chart from the Official Charts Company, the six months to June 30 saw more than 21 million rental transactions made in the UK alone, with an average of one million per week.