Disney, who is losing millions with their Disney+ streaming service, has plans to overhaul the service by adding channels which will support and feature ads.
These “FAST” channels (free ad-supported streaming television) are currently offered by apps Pluto and Tubi.
Hit shows from the library would be chosen to create a 24-hour option.
These could include ‘The Simpsons,’ or major franchises like ‘Star Wars.’
A similar decision was attempted by the company inside its ABC.com app (American Broadcasting Company), when a channel dedicated to the 20/20 news magazine show was added.
Another channel was also added, dedicated to ‘General Hospital’.
Disney wants its streaming service users to stay on the platform, instead of choosing other services.
Back in 2022, Netflix also tried a similar option, which would have created a store in the app where users could subscribe to other streaming services. This feature is currently used on Amazon Prime Video.
Executives at Netflix played with the idea that this option would keep users inside Netflix, however, this has yet to be implemented.
Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, introduced the streaming service in 2019, before retiring from the position.
During the pandemic, Disney+ surged due to the 8,000 hours of content it had. The company then expanded the service, spending billions.
However, after the pandemic, when restrictions were raised, and competition for streaming rose, customers began monitoring their spending, leading to some users leaving the service.
Since launching, Disney+ operating losses equalled over U$11.4 billion, but, the company is expecting to turn a profit for the first time this year.
Bob Iger returned to the company, but was forced to implement cost cutting measures, which included job cuts and culling some of the library on the streaming service.
