- Disney+ would be considering a completely free tier with ads
- The cheapest tier already includes some ads.
- We are seeing that streaming platforms are increasingly similar to traditional television.
The line between streaming platforms and traditional television continues to blur: there’s a new report that Disney+ is considering adding a free tier to its platform, completely supported by ads, so that some shows and movies can be watched without paying anything.
This comes from Business Insider, which says that “people familiar with the matter” have revealed that Disney+ product and technology chief Adam Smith mentioned the possibility of a free tier during a meeting within the company on Thursday (July 9).
That’s all the details we have for now, so it’s just a possibility. Smith gave no indication of when the free tier might be offered to consumers, or how much of the Disney+ library might be available without paying anything.
There are some indications from Business Insider that Disney+ is concerned about YouTube and its continued growth. While you can choose to pay for YouTube Premium, all content on the platform is available for free, with options.
Free vs. paid
Disney exploring adding a free tier to Disney+ as YouTube attracts TV viewers | The tier would allow access to some movies and TV shows without a paywall.
from r/television
While streaming platforms like Netflix and Apple TV don’t have a completely free tier, there are, of course, services like Pluto TV and Tubi that rely entirely on free, ad-supported streaming television (known as FAST).
Nielsen statistics, cited by Business Insider, say the top three free streamers accounted for 18.7% of US viewing time in April 2026, up from 16.8% a year earlier and 12.7% the year before; figures that Disney+ will have noticed.
Reactions to the rumors on Reddit have been mixed, with the observation that “we’re so close to streamers inventing TV” and a joke that “we’re just getting TV back, huh” summarizing the general sentiment among users.
One poster suggests the new tier would be “invisible” given the number of ads already appearing on Disney+’s cheapest tier, while another expresses concern that a completely free tier would eventually come with a monthly cost as time goes on.
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