This Mickey Mouse-shaped streaming device will bring Disney to China

Dec 22, 2015Updated Dec 20, 20151 min read

Call it a Trojan mouse if you like: this is the streaming device that will bring Disney content to China. The $125 Mickey Mouse-shaped gadget was unveiled this week as part of a multiyear licensing agreement between The Walt Disney Company and China’s retailing giant Alibaba, offering access to everything Disney, from films to e-books.

The gadget is superficially similar to devices like Google’s Chromecast or Amazon’s Fire TV, plugging into customers’ TVs and streaming digital content from the internet. However, instead of offering TV shows and movies from a range of different publishers, it’s only connected to a single subscription service: DisneyLife. This on-demand digital library first launched in the UK in November, and offers access not only to Disney’s films, cartoons, games, e-books, and songs, but also lets customers buy Disney merchandise and plan trips to Disneyland theme parks.

The devices will ship from December 28th, and the $125 retail price will include a year’s subscription to DisneyLife. Neither Alibaba nor Disney revealed how much subscriptions would cost after this initial period, but in the UK — where the service launched without a Mickey Mouse-shaped streaming box — the fee is $15 a month.

Tags

About the author

Mei Ling Tan

Contributor · RetailNews.asia

Mei Ling Tan is the Editor of Retail News Asia, where she leads the editorial team in delivering in-depth coverage of Asia’s dynamic retail landscape. With over a decade of experience in business journalism, Mei Ling is known for her sharp analysis, deep industry insights, and commitment to uncovering the stories behind Asia’s most innovative retail brands. Before joining Retail News Asia, Mei Ling held senior reporting roles at regional business publications, covering everything from consumer trends to digital transformation in retail. A graduate of the National University of Singapore with a degree in Communications and New Media, she combines journalistic integrity with a strong understanding of evolving market forces. Outside the newsroom, Mei Ling is a frequent speaker at industry panels and a mentor for young journalists.

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox