Disney+ To Unveil Free, Ad-Supported Tier to Streaming Service: Alcohol and Political Ads Not Welcome
After revealing plans to launch an ad-supported tier for Disney+ earlier this year, more information has come out about Disney's plans regarding exactly what kinds of ads will or will not be allowed on their platform.
In a first for streaming services, Disney plans on exercising a fair amount of control on the types of ads allowed to play alongside its content, by outlawing ads revolving around alcohol, politics, or rival outlets or entertainment studios.
However, this isn't the first time that Disney has restricted what kinds of ads can be shown on its network. Previously, as pointed out by Variety, Disney has been cautious when playing ads that would be seen by their youngest viewers; The Disney Channel doesn't run traditional ads, instead opting for sponsorship messages that coincide with the programming - and Disney Junior, which targets the youngest audience of all, doesn't run ads at all, except for those for their own programming.
With its venture into AVOD, Disney seems to be sticking with its family friendly approach by being picky with what advertisers will be allowed into its space. Per Variety:
"According to the two media buyers, Disney will also be cautious about running commercials alongside shows aimed at pre-school audiences, and will no run ads at all when an individual user profile in control of the viewing experience indicates a young child is watching."
Finally, Disney is also taking into account how many ads viewers will be inundated with while using their new ad-sponsored tier, by sticking to a set ratio: four minutes of ads every 60 minutes. This differs from Disney's sister streaming service Hulu, which runs nine to 12 ads per hour.
Other streaming services, like Peacock and HBO Max, run more similar of ads to Disney+'s plan, with Peacock airing no more than five ads per hour, and HBO Max running around four ads per hour.
It's interesting to see how protective Disney is of its viewership, and we're encouraged by how the House of Mouse is looking out for its young viewer base - and the fact that that protection will also extend to older viewers is, frankly, just nice.
In Disney's quest to expand its streaming viewership, it looks like they're off to a great start!
For more entertainment news and commentary, check out Enstarz! We bring you the latest on your favorite celebrities, TV shows, and films.
