The idea of exclusivity with streaming services is starting to lose its meaning quite a bit. During the pandemic, it felt as if streaming services couldn’t spend enough money to grab up as many “exclusive” films and TV series to draw in subscribers. For a while, it seemed like it was working, but lately, as costs are rising and subscribers are leveling off, studios are looking for other ways to monetize the “exclusive” streaming content. For Disney, it appears that some of the biggest Disney+ exclusive titles are starting to venture out of the digital domain and enter the physical media world. 
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It was just announced that Disney is set to release the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian,” as well as the first seasons of both “Loki” and “WandaVision,” on physical disc with deluxe steelbook 4K packages. This marks the first time Disney has really taken its big streaming exclusive titles and given them additional releases outside of the digital realm. It also seemingly marks a change in strategy, as studios, such as Disney, attempt to earn as much money as they possibly can from all of this streaming content. 
Yes, these releases are jam-packed with special features and are presented in glorious 4K, which is a huge deal for the fans who spend a lot of money on great home theater setups, but it’s interesting to see these titles get another release. Is it meant to draw in people who aren’t subscribers? Possibly. Is it really just a way for Disney to charge super fans twice for the content (as they have probably already been subscribing to Disney+ anyway and already seen this)? Most likely, yes. 
Ultimately, it’s another example of streaming service exclusivity getting thrown out the window. Netflix has been doing this for years, releasing some of its most beloved content through Criterion or other methods. Warner Bros. Discovery has been licensing out its “exclusive” content with ad-supported streamers, as well as a recent deal with Netflix. And it just feels as if, once again, the paradigm for how studios make money from streaming services is changing. The idea of exclusive content seems so… 2021.
If you want to purchase the physical versions of the aforementioned shows, you can do so on the dates below:
Marvel Studios’ Loki: The Complete First Season: September 26, 2023
Marvel Studios’ WandaVision: The Complete Series: November 28, 2023
Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season: December 12, 2023
Star Wars The Mandalorian: The Complete Second Season: December 12, 2023