Disney+ Launches $7.99 Ad-Supported Tier

Disney has officially launched its ad-supported tier, Disney+ Basic, just one month after Netflix launched a similar program. 

The new tier costs $7.99 monthly compared to the ad-free version of Disney+ which costs $10.99.

Disney’s ad-supported tier has been in the works for months after first being announced in March. President of Direct to Consumer, Michael Paull, said in a statement “Today’s launch marks a milestone moment for Disney+ and puts consumer choice at the forefront. With these new ad-supported offerings, we’re able to deliver greater flexibility for consumers to enjoy the full breadth and depth of incredible storytelling from The Walt Disney Company.”

Disney+ Basic will now be directly competing with Neflix’s ad-supported tier, which costs users $6.99 per month. 

According to TechCrunch, “Disney+ Basic not only lets viewers stream high-quality video, including Full HD, HDR10, 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision and Expanded Aspect Ratio with IMAX Enhanced, but it also lets subscribers stream on up to four supported devices simultaneously. Plus, the ad plan includes Disney+’s full content catalog.”

However, neither ad-supported package supports offline viewing or downloads. 

Upon the launch of the Disney+ ad-supported tier, the company increased the price of the Premium ad-free subscription from $7.99 to $10.99. 

So, while it appears that Disney+ launched a new “cheaper” option, subscribers will actually have to pay the same price for a plan that now will show ads.