Is May The 4th Star Wars marathon worth the cost of Disney+?

At roughly half the cost of your recently canceled Netflix plan, is the $8 monthly fee for Disney+ worth it for the Star Wars content alone?

The recent plummet in Netflix subscribership has streaming customers questioning whether their favorite video platforms justify the cost.

Additionally, with May the 4th upon us and Star Wars viewing marathons imminent, fans may wonder if Disney+ is the best deal for their Jedi fix.
To help answer that question, FinanceBuzz analyzed the entire collection of Star Wars content available on the streaming platform. According to the study, the Disney+ library holds massive value for any fan of George Lucas’ sci-fi universe, in both quantity and quality.

I (Don’t) Find Your Lack of (Content) Disturbing

With 14 movies, an equal number of TV shows, 15 specials, and eight series of shorts, there is enough volume and variety of Star Wars content to keep even the most dedicated fans busy for quite some time.

How much time, exactly?

FinanceBuzz tells us there are 12,073 total minutes of Star Wars content available for streaming on Disney+. Finishing every piece of content would take more than eight straight days – and that’s if you don’t leave any time for sleeping, refilling your movie snacks, or debating your favorite Star Wars quotes. With this much on offer, even the most selective viewers have a wealth of options from which to choose.

Disney+ offers more than 25 hours of streamable Star Wars content for each dollar of your monthly subscription fee. That’s about 4 cents per hour of entertainment.

The movies alone make up enough runtime to fill a 24-hour May the 4th marathon and carry over into your Revenge of the 5th follow-up festivities. Although, if you are new to the Star Wars universe or have only followed the core Skywalker Saga thus far, don’t overlook the bevy of TV shows for the complete experience.

There are more streamable hours of shows than all movies, shorts, and specials combined. They make up more than three-quarters of the entire library of Star Wars content.

Tell Me the Odds (and the Ratings)

There is no shortage of Star Wars content on Disney+ for the money, but is it all worth watching? After all, value decisions should factor in quality, not just price. Are we looking at hundreds of hours of movies and series living up to the cultural phenomenon of The Mandalorian or more in the realm of the massive disappointment that was The Star Wars Holiday Special?

And the nature around Salt Lake City stood in for some background shots in @StarWars: #TheMandalorian! https://t.co/ynwssJkw7D

— SLCgov (@SLCgov) May 4, 2022

While every fan has their critiques, the numbers don’t lie: there is a high bar for quality. FinanceBuzz reports that the average IMDb score across all pieces of content is 7.0 (out of 10). With the lowest average rating, even the collection of shorts upholds a respectable 6.2. It’s only up from there, with the specials averaging 6.9, followed by the movies at 7.1.

Of course, there’s always a bigger fish. In this case, that fish is the TV programming. StarWars TV shows have an average IMDb rating of 7.4, putting them ahead of all other forms of content in quantity and quality. Across every content segment, the StarWars library remains popular with fans and critics, with only a few outliers (such as a particular winter holiday special). So whether you joined the fanbase in 1977, 1999, or are just wading in today, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

I’ve Got a (Good) Feeling About This

Star Wars in the Disney era has been a matter of much debate among the fanbase. Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 led to the production of the third film trilogy in the Skywalker saga and numerous spinoff series and specials (with more still to come).

They’re coming. #ObiWanKenobi, a limited series, starts streaming May 27 on Disney+. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/ZYpnmu4Rre

— Star Wars (@starwars) May 4, 2022

Many fans, old and new, have flocked to these latest installments, with some expressing a strong disdain for the more recent content.

If you’re a veteran fan, you may be wondering if this new era of Star Wars media is worth the hassle. Should you stick to your trusty VHS collection of the classics, where Han still shoots Greedo first?

Once again, the data may surprise you.

Perhaps to the chagrin of some vocal critics, Disney-produced Star Wars content holds a slightly higher average rating on IMDb than non-Disney-produced content, at 7.2 and 6.9, respectively. Each generation of new installments to our favorite space opera brings some major hits and the odd miss here and there.

Good morning #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/0QKQGdTiMy

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) May 4, 2022

However, if you’re concerned about an overall decline in quality post-acquisition, the reviews show there’s no need to worry.

If the existing archive of Disney-produced movies and Disney+ Originals isn’t enough to make up your mind, there’s also a hefty lineup of new Star Wars content set to roll out on the platform over the next two years.

This Deal’s Getting (Better) All the Time

Offering over 12,000 minutes of streaming video (and counting), Disney+ provides more than enough Star Wars content for even the most dedicated fans.
The consistently high ratings of the 51 unique offerings tell the story of a decades-old franchise that continues to innovate and take risks while remembering to stay true to itself and create experiences that delight audiences.

Encontrarse a Din Djarin en Speeder Bike por la calle #StarWars #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/gUA8mZpFDe

— La Fragua De Beskar (@LBeskar) May 4, 2022

At just 4 cents per hour (monthly), the cost of access to this massive library is quite reasonable, even if Disney doesn’t accept republic credits for the subscription fee – yet. The data show that $8 for all this is an outstanding deal. Let’s pray they don’t alter it any further.

by Wealth of Geeks.