Disney Catches ‘Bluey’ Fever
Bob Iger came up through television before he became CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
As great as his tenure has been as Disney’s head, he made one crucial mistake many years ago.
Photo: AdWeek
No, not that one. I’m not talking about choosing Bob Chapek to succeed him as CEO.
I’m referring to a time when Iger underestimated a fledgling competitor.
Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
That mistake directly leads to the topic we’re about to discuss, as Disney has caught Bluey fever.
Let’s talk about what Iger did wrong, how he fixed it, and how Disney benefits mightily now.
The Disruption Was Real
Photo: wirefly.com
Remember when you were a kid and read all about important events in world history?
Well, you also lived through one, as the 21st century has already witnessed hallmark change.
Photo: Rappler
We’re in the Age of Disruption, a time when longstanding business models collapsed.
The rise of the internet wrecked everything from newspapers and magazines to mall shopping.
Photo: Getty
In the 1990s, Iger had been a hotshot executive at Capital Cities before it made its big move.
The company acquired ABC in 1995 but then sold to Disney in 1996.
Iger rode the wave there into the upper echelons of Disney’s C-suite and eventually became CEO.
So, it’s fair to say that his television career made him the person he is today.
California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)
However, that same connection to broadcast television hurt Iger in an odd way.
When streaming arrived, Iger adopted a measured approach to this distribution method.
Hulu
Disney committed to Hulu in a joint initiative with NBC and Fox, but that was about it.
When Netflix expanded, Disney chose to license its content to Netflix rather than create a streaming service.
Deadline
By the time Iger realized this was a mistake, it was too late, with Netflix gaining marketplace dominance.
In the process, Disney missed an entire generation of children, as those kids grew up watching Netflix.
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Since Disney kept most of its children’s and tween content for broadcast television, these kids never watched.
The ramifications of this misstep are still being felt to this day, as some of those people are parents now.
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Mommies and daddies didn’t grow up with Disney, so they’re not passing that love along to their kids.
The Disney Flywheel stops spinning when that happens, and Disney loses potential fans.
Won’t Get Fooled Again
(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Iger corrected his mistake when he announced a new streaming service, Disney+.
The executive promised that Disney would populate the service with top-quality material.
Lucas films
Iger planned to anchor Disney+ with Marvel and Star Wars programming as the backbone.
The initial strategy called for these shows to populate most of the new weekly content.
Photo: Star Wars
At the time, Disney thought that if it could rotate Marvel and Star Wars, people would never cancel.
That plan fell apart because a lot of the Star Wars content wasn’t good, while Marvel’s stories varied in quality.
Agatha in ‘WandaVision’ | Photo: Marvel
Some like WandaVision and Loki proved as good as anything Marvel had done.
Others, like Secret Invasion, proved that Disney+ could waste $235 million on a bad show.
Photo: Marvel
Disney realized it wasn’t getting a good return on investment with much of its Disney+ content.
Salvation arrived in the form of a Blue Heeler puppy that had never been in Iger’s plans.
Photo: Marvel
In June 2019, Disney jumped on the Bluey bandwagon at pretty much the perfect moment.
Later that year, the show aired “on Disney Junior and Disney+ in all territories excluding Australia, New Zealand, and Greater China.”
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A few months later, a global pandemic shut down society and trapped most people at home.
During that timeframe, families took a chance on Bluey, and it was love at first sight.
Bluey and Bingo at Bluey x CAMP
The show quickly attained a level of pop culture awareness usually reserved for absolute heavyweights.
I could honestly argue that Bluey is to the 2020s what Harry Potter was to the early 2000s.
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This series has been THE most popular streaming program for two calendar years now.
Due to its ascension, Disney has corrected a previous issue. It’s once again winning over children.
So, the Disney gap of the 2010s won’t be repeated in the 2020s.
Disney Catches ‘Bluey’ Fever
Photo: Bluey’s World
A couple of years ago, I raised the possibility of Disney purchasing the Bluey brand outright.
That doesn’t appear to be in the offing, although I reiterate that it remains a VERY good idea.
Photo: Ludo Studios
Bluey has become synonymous with wholesome, high-quality family entertainment.
More importantly, from Disney’s perspective, it’s the voice of a generation of parents and children.
Photo: Ludo Studios
Kids adore the adorable, relatable puppies, while moms and dads get parenting tips from the show.
I’m not joking about that. TikTok and Reddit have entire subsets for Bluey parents using the show for guidance.
Photo: Bluey
When Disney’s licensing renewal was up for negotiations, the company asked for more…and got it!
Disney will distribute a Bluey movie in 2027 and locked up streaming rights for the show indefinitely.
Photo: Disney
At some point, I still expect Disney to buy Bluey, and when that happens, I’ll warn you right now.
You shouldn’t be shocked if this one show sells for as much as Marvel and Star Wars…if not more!
Photo: Bluey
Bluey targets the demographics that Disney covets the most, and that’s why it’s going all-in.
The Magic of ‘Bluey’ Animation
Photo: Disney
As Disney recently announced, all three main facets of Disney Experiences will add Bluey.
Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line will introduce the characters in 2026.
Technically, DCL already did, but there’s a world of difference between one costume and an experience.
Cruise fans will get the latter this year, as certain domestic cruises add multiple Bluey characters and activities.
Photo: Disney
At Disneyland Resort, the beloved Fantasyland Theatre will transform into a Bluey show.
That’s only the tip of the iceberg, as several other Bluey family options will arrive in a few months.
Photo: Disney
Similarly, Walt Disney World will give people a reason to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom next year.
This part is especially brilliant, as I’ve been discussing how the park is in transition right now.
Last week, I would have said that the park would witness an attendance drop in 2026.
In fact, I may have. I can’t remember. If I did, I’m dead wrong now, as Bluey will appear soon.
Photo: Disney+
Kids can play Butterfly Keepy Uppy and meet their favorite Bluey characters at Conservation Station.
These are the sorts of activities that solve two problems at once.
Photo: Merlin Entertainments
First, they provide guests with a new reason to visit the parks in 2026.
Second, they offer parents a way to take it easy during a park visit by giving their kids something to do.
Picture: Disney
Families can hang out together as the children play, and the parents savor the moment.
Bluey is a perfect scheme fit for Disney theme parks, as they’re similar brands.
(Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)
So, Iger has finally corrected a previous mistake and given a new generation of kids a reason to love Disney.
They can watch Bluey on Disney+ and then meet her at the parks! Friends, Bluey Fever is contagious, and it’s about to spread even more at Disney.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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