In an increasingly competitive streaming market, Disney Plus is the latest entrant. With the promise of a wide range of Disney and Star Wars content, plus the launch of Marvel and other franchises, the streaming platform has easily become one of the most popular around. However, Disney is now introducing a new tier, Disney Plus with ads. This tier isn’t a good deal for subscribers.
First, the content selection with Disney Plus with Ads is significantly reduced compared to the regular tier. While still broad, the selection of movies and TV shows is missing some top-tier titles, and many popular original series are also absent. This means that for the same price as the regular tier, people who subscribe to Disney Plus with Ads are missing out on a lot of content.
Second, the ads can be intrusive and annoying. Subscribers to the ad-supported version have reported having to watch advertisements that are disruptive and long. The ads are often repeated and can make the movie-watching or TV show-viewing experience unpleasant.
Third, the customers who sign up for Disney Plus with Ads will pay the same price but will not have access to the features that regular subscribers have. These features include the ability to watch 4 screens at once and stream content in 4K resolution. These are important features that subscribers are willing to pay for, yet those who sign up for Disney Plus with Ads won’t be able to enjoy those.
Finally, it isn’t clear if Disney Plus with Ads will be the same price for all countries. Currently, Disney Plus with Ads is only available in the United States, and it’s unclear if other countries will be given the same pricing. This isn’t a great deal for those living outside of the U.S., as they could end up paying more for the same service.
Ultimately, Disney Plus with Ads isn’t a very good deal. The content selection is significantly reduced, the ads can be intrusive, customers miss out on features, and there’s no guarantee of the price outside of the U.S. Most streaming customers would prefer to stick with the regular Disney Plus tier or go to another platform altogether if they don’t want to pay for an ad-free experience.