LOS ANGELES: Workers in the Magic Kingdom are not getting complimentary access to the new Disney Plus streaming platform, but that lack of a perk isn’t actually unusual.

Similarly, Netflix also does not provide employees free access to its streaming services. Meanwhile, Amazon doesn’t give employees comped access to Prime or Prime Video, although it does offer full-timers an annual discount on products sold and shipped by the e-commerce giant.

Some premium Internet video providers do offer their staffers free access. Those include Hulu (now controlled by Disney), which says employees get free Hulu subscriptions with premium add-ons as well as discounted prices for friends and family. WarnerMedia’s HBO also grants its employees free access to HBO Go (the authenticated pay-TV version of the streaming service) plus discounts on mobile and cable services.

Giving gratis access to Disney Plus to all of its roughly 200,000 employees worldwide would represent a value of US$14mil per year (at the service’s annual rate of US$69.99), assuming they all took such an offer.

Of course, if any Walt Disney Co employees are also Verizon Wireless subscribers on unlimited plans, they can take advantage of the companies’ joint one-year-free promotional offer.

On Nov 13, Disney announced that more than 10 million people had signed up for Disney Plus in the first day of its launch, a surge that the media conglomerate blamed on technical problems users encountered.

As far as worker benefits, Disney says it offers "a competitive total rewards package" that comprises pay, health and savings benefits, time-off programs, educational opportunities, and wellness and work/life resources, among other perks.

 - Reuters