Streaming platforms want two things: as large an audience as possible and to collect as much money from that viewer as they can. When people stop signing up and paying, offering an ad-supported version can be a way to accelerate growth. That’s exactly why Hulu and HBO Max have such versions of their own, Netflix is about to follow up with one of their own, and Disney Plus will launch the commercial version before the end of the year. The first details about this new Disney Plus version are slowly emerging, and it looks like ad-supported viewers may miss out on some features.
Analysis of the text strings appearing in the Disney Plus app (it looks like an iOS build) is definitely the viewership in the ad-supported version. SharePlay or GroupWatch It seems to indicate that they cannot use it. With the message clearly stating that features aren’t available for “accounts in the ad tier”, there doesn’t seem to be much room for comment here.
If you’re planning to attend a friend’s movie night party or throw your own party using the upcoming $35 plan, you may have to give up on that dream. GroupWatch is Disney’s equivalent of Apple SharePlay and lets you watch shows and movies with other subscribers you know. The move seems logical, considering that if only one of the viewers has an ad-supported plan, viewers won’t want to tolerate ads.
We’re not surprised that Disney Plus trimmed the list of supported features for its new tier. For example, Netflix limits ad-supported streaming to 720p resolution without the convenience of downloading for offline consumption. Disney Plus may have similar restrictions, but we may not have the full picture until we go live.
Advertised Disney Plus arrives for customers on December 8th. For now, the $8 pricing seems to equate to Netflix’s close to $7 and Hulu’s $8 for ad-supported tiers. Note that the ad-supported version will arrive in the US first. It is expected to arrive in other countries later on.