Walt Disney Co. senior executives are discussing how to unify the company’s disparate mobile apps and transform its streaming service into the first destination for everything Disney—a place where users can book park tickets, buy merchandise, play games, and watch movies.
Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, is attempting to break down silos within the company and simplify how customers interact with its brand. The new app would combine Disney+ with mobile platforms such as the Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line Navigator apps into what’s internally being described as a “super app,” according to people familiar with the matter.
The conversations remain in early stages and no concrete steps have been taken toward developing the product. However, the ambition has featured prominently in internal presentation materials and indicates the potential D’Amaro sees in evolving the company’s direct-to-consumer business.
A Disney spokesperson declined to comment.
The company has long explored creating a super app for all things Disney or even a membership program similar to Amazon.com’s Prime service. D’Amaro’s predecessor, Bob Iger, considered the idea for more than a decade, even testing a less comprehensive version in the UK.
As Disney has released more apps in recent years, the company has periodically revisited whether to combine them. The ambition never gained traction due to logistical setbacks. Disney is currently working on merging its Hulu online video platform with Disney+, which has faced obstacles because of their separate tech infrastructure and programming rights.
D’Amaro, who succeeded Iger as CEO in March, is eager to revisit the idea. He told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting that month: “Disney+ will continue to evolve beyond a traditional streaming service to become the digital centerpiece of our company—a portal that connects our stories, experiences, games, films, and more in entirely new ways.”
D’Amaro serves as a board observer at Epic Games, the video game publisher behind Fortnite. He recently restructured Disney to more closely tie together games and entertainment. Disney has also been exploring more investment in user-generated content and artificial intelligence.
That ambition faced a setback later in March when OpenAI abruptly shut down its Sora text-to-video generator, collapsing a $1 billion deal Disney had signed with the company to grant users access to roughly 200 characters and allow them to create their own content for Disney+.
Disney is scheduled to report its first quarterly earnings under D’Amaro on May 6.