Walt Disney Co. bans Netflix ads

The Walt Disney Co. is banning ads for Netflix across its entertainment TV networks as it continues to work towards the release of its Disney+ streaming service, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Disney, which also owns ABC, had initially planned not to accept ads on its TV channels from any competing streaming service but found a compromise with other companies, though the exception was Netflix, the Journal reported. 

Disney looked into whether it had a business or advertising relationship in deciding whether to accept ads from other companies. Netflix, however, does not show ads in its videos. 

{mosads}ESPN, which is owned by Disney, will still show Netflix ads, however.

Competition is growing fiercer among streaming service providers as Disney prepares to launch Disney+ on Nov. 12, which will offer selections from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, as well as the entire catalog of “The Simpsons,” among other programming.

Currently, the entertainment giant has no plan to have its streaming service available on Amazon’s Fire TV streaming player, the Journal reported.

Robert Iger, Disney’s chief executive, left Apple’s board last month the same day that Apple announced its own streaming service.

Netflix spent $1.8 billion in advertising last year, with nearly $100 million of that going to U.S. TV ads, the Journal reported, citing data from iSpot.TV.

Disney, Comcast, NBC and AT&T are each spending hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising to promote their new services.

Currently, Netflix boasts 60 million U.S. subscribers and 91.5 international subscribers.