New streaming service will be called Disney+, company says

Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Disney's new streaming service that will take on competitor Netflix will be called Disney+, the company said.

Disney officials noted the new name late Thursday in an earnings call with investors.

The streaming service will carry all Disney brands, including Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Pixar. It will be similar to Disney's ESPN+ platform, which has 1 million subscribers.

Disney also announced new content coming to Disney+ that focuses on characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises. The Marvel series will focus on Loki from the Avengers series while the Star Wars show will be a prequel to Rogue One.

"Direct-to-consumer continues one of our top priorities," Disney CEO Bob Iger said on the earnings call.

Disney also said it plans to take streaming service Hulu, which it co-owns with Comcast and AT&T, to international markets and produce more original programming. Advertising rates could also go up for Hulu as it aims for a youthful audience.

"We think there's an opportunity to increase investment in Hulu, notably on the programming side," Iger said. "With this acquisition comes not only some great [intellectual property] but some excellent talent particularly on the TV side."

Hulu will have more general entertainment while Disney+ will focus on family-oriented programming.

Disney shares rose about 3 percent early Friday. Disney+ is planned to launch late next year.