The Walt Disney Company is getting its flagship streaming service onboard with paid advertisements, as Disney+ has launched its highly anticipated ad-supported subscription across the United States. The new tiers will allow users to choose from a variety of options across all of Disney's offerings.
Disney+'s ad-supported tiers are hitting the ground running, with more than 100 paid advertisers across all of the company's major categories having already signed on, according to Disney. The new tiers also come with a price overhaul for the platform. Disney+'s standard tier, which will not contain any ads, is being bumped up to $10.99 per month. Disney+'s Basic tier, which is now supported with advertising, will be offered at $7.99 per month. Existing Disney+ subscribers may begin switching to the Basic plan right away.
However, even with its ads, subscribers to Disney+'s Basic plan will also be getting a bit of a bonus, as the rollout of paid advertisements will allow basic subscribers to access the features that are also offered on the platform's Premium plan. This includes access to exclusive Disney originals, described by the company as "an ever-growing collection of thousands of titles across films, documentaries, series, and shorts" that will also provide access to a history of the studio's film and television works. A number of other Premium perks will also be available to Basic users, the company said, including the ability to create up to seven profiles and stream on up to four devices simultaneously.
In addition to Disney+ itself, the company is also overhauling some of its other key offerings. This includes the Disney Bundle, a package with combines Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu into one program. Their basic offering, the Disney Bundle Duo, will allow users to access ad-supported tiers of Disney+ and Hulu for $9.99 per month. Their marquis product, the Disney Bundle Trio Basic, will let subscribers binge ad-supported tiers of all three networks for $12.99 per month. Beyond this, yet another option, the Disney Bundle Trio Premium, will cost $19.99 per month and come with ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu.
“Today’s launch marks a milestone moment for Disney+ and puts consumer choice at the forefront,” said Michael Paul, president of Disney's direct to consumer operations. “With these new ad-supported offerings, we’re able to deliver greater flexibility for consumers to enjoy the full breadth and depth of incredible storytelling from The Walt Disney Company.”
This sentiment was echoed by the president of Disney Advertising, Rita Ferro, who said, “Today we welcome Disney+ with ads to the largest, most diverse and impactful portfolio in the industry. We are committed to connecting our clients to the best storytelling in the world while delivering innovation and viewer-first experiences in streaming now and in the future."