If your Disney+ account is acting up today, you’re not alone. Widespread outages from Amazon Web Services have been impacting various websites today, and the Disney streamer is one that got hit.
Roku is also suffering problems, alerting its users with this post:
We are aware of a service interruption that may be impacting activating new Roku devices and other web services at roku.com.
We apologize for the inconvenience and are currently investigating this issue.
We appreciate your patience. You can subscribe to this thread for the latest update on this issue, or try back later.
According to Down Detector, other services suffering outages include Chime, Ring, Prime Music, League of Legends, Venmo, IMDb, and the McDonald’s app.
AWS said it has identified the cause of “increased error rates” and is working to fix it. The company is directing customers to alternative servers in other areas that aren’t experiencing problems.
AWS provides the backbone for roughly one-third of the internet, and it’s been a key factor in some high profile battles with streaming services. In November, it was reported that as part of their deal to bring HBO Max to Amazon Fire TV – WarnerMedia was able to get out of offering the service through Prime Video Channels.
This was apparently a major sticking point, which kept the service off the Fire TV platform for six months post-launch. According to a report by The Information, we now know exactly how they were able to get the concession. Apparently, WarnerMedia extended their Amazon Web Services (AWS) contract in order to secure the change.
AWS is the back-end provider for Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, Discovery+, and (obviously) Amazon Prime. Roughly 1,600 television channels worldwide also rely on AWS, including the FOX, ViacomCBS, and Discovery families of networks.
So if you’re struggling to use one of your go-to websites or apps today, know that you’re not alone. AWS engineers are working frantically to resolve the outage.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”