While Disney+ offers a lot of content in return for the monthly subscription fee, the company is reportedly considering launching a free tier. Naturally, the free tier would offer access to significantly less content than a paid subscription.
What You Need to Know
- Disney+ is reportedly exploring a free tier as a way to attract new users.
- The change is understood to be in response to the growing preference for free, ad-supported services, including YouTube.
- It would be expected that a free tier would offer access to a vastly limited library.
When Disney+ launched in 2019, a standalone subscription cost $6.99 per month. Over the years since, the cost has continually increased, with a standalone subscription now priced at $11.99 a month.
Disney+ is not the only streaming service to increase in price over the same time, and with so many services now costing significantly more than they did a few years ago, it is not surprising that free services have continually gained in popularity in recent years.
It now looks like Disney is trying to get in on the free action. According to Business Insider, citing “two people familiar with the matter,” the company is actively toying with the idea of launching a free tier.
According to one of the sources, the topic of a free tier was discussed yesterday during a company town hall. Another source indicated a free tier is part of a wider discussion the company is having on how to better serve consumers.
While the report suggests a free Disney+ tier could be coming, no additional details were provided. This included no information on when the tier could launch, or how much content would actually be available to non-paying users.
A Free Tier Would Likely Offer Basic Access to Disney+
Of course, with Disney+ wanting to ensure it doesn’t cannibalize its existing paid user base, the launch of a free tier will almost certainly result in access to a vastly limited library of content.
We have seen other streaming services take an approach like this in the past, with Peacock a prime example. In many cases, streaming services allow access to single episodes or select movies which rotate in and out of the free tier on a regular basis.
Assuming Disney+ was to launch a free tier, it would likely follow this same strategy, offering a way for consumers to dip their toes into the Disney+ catalog, and act as gateway to upgrading to a paid subscription.
With Disney+ specifically, a free tier could also include access to the company’s always-on channels. These ‘Streams‘ are already available to existing subscribers and tend to rotate in and out of service throughout the year, making them a good option to keep free users watching.
For reference, Disney+ is not the only paid service currently looking for new ways to bring users into the fold and keep them engaged.
A separate report this week indicated Netflix is now considering offering always-on live channels (similar to Disney+’s Streams) and the ability to bundle additional streaming services within the Netflix app (similar to how Prime Video operates).
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