Disney+ has launched an ad-supported subscription tier of the streaming service in the US.
The new tier, titled Disney+ Basic, was made available in the country on Thursday (December 8), priced at $7.99 (£6.49) a month. The price for the regular subscription without ads, previously $7.99, has been increased to $10.99 (£8.93).
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Disney’s advertising president, Rita Ferro, told Reuters the new subscription will carry four minutes of advertising per hour, in 15 and 30 second spots. It will also limit the number of times the same ad will appear over the course of a day or week.
The new tier is set to be rolled out across the rest of the world in 2023.
Unlike Netflix’s ad-supported tier, which launched in November at $6.99 (£4.99), Disney+ Basic allows viewers to stream shows and movies in 4k. It also allows subscribers to stream across four devices at the same time, while Netflix only supports one.
The entire library of Disney+ shows and movies will be available to Disney+ Basic subscribers too. In comparison, some shows on the ad-supported Netflix, like Breaking Bad and Peaky Blinders, are unavailable due to licensing issues.
One similarity between Disney+ Basic and Netflix Basic is subscribers can’t download anything from the service to watch offline.
Disney’s ad-supported tier was launched to help the company achieve its long-term target of 230-260 million subscribers worldwide by the end of the 2024 fiscal year.
Disney media and entertainment distribution chairman, Kareem Daniel, said: “Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone – consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers.
“More consumers will be able to access our amazing content. Advertisers will be able to reach a wider audience, and our storytellers will be able to share their incredible work with more fans and families.”
The post Disney+ ads: what you need to know about the ad-supported subscription appeared first on NME.
