ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the book’s goals, methodologies, and objects of study. We preview and examine the Disney+ streaming service by taking a look at several important historical and contextual factors. This chapter traces the emergence of various streaming services and discusses the various services that make up Disney’s competition in this market. The chapter then moves on to a historical analysis of three important Disney leaders spanning different eras – Walt Disney, Michael Eisner, and Bob Iger. Through this analysis we see that, for all the talk of streaming services disrupting the media landscape, Disney is unique in that it had been developing practices for over 50 years that readied the company for the era of Disney+. The chapter also provides an overview of the theoretical and methodological rationale for the study and provides a preview of the chapters and specific objects of study that follow.
