Disney+ introduces ad-supported tier in Australia
Disney+ will introduce an ad-supported subscription tier soon
Disney has announced it will introduce an ad-supported subscription tier on its Disney+ streaming service in the coming months.
The forthcoming “Standard with Ad”s tier will allow ad-supported streaming, in full HD resolution and concurrent streaming on two separate devices.
Disney hasn’t revealed the cost yet — it “will be available at an attractive price point”, the company promises in a media release — but it is likely to be competitively priced against similar ad-supported offerings from Netflix and Paramount Plus, which are both $9.99 a month in Australia.
Disney+ has around 3.3m Australian subscribers, according to October figures from Telsyte. It is still a significant distance behind market leader Netflix, which has over 6m Australian subscribers. Netflix introduced its ad-supported tier to Australia in November 2022, around the same time that Disney+ launched its ad-supported product in the US.
Disney’s local entry into the ad-supported market was foreshadowed at ESPN’s upfront last September, where the company showcased several Disney-branded advertising tools.
These included Disney Ad Service, a proprietary advertising technology that has been built and used in the US for years; Disney’s Bridge ID, a programmatic identity solution that integrates directly into sell-side platforms; and Disney Select, an advanced audience targeting tool.
To date, the only way that Australian brands have been able to reach Disney+ subscribers is by advertising through the two ESPN channels, which are offered as a linear stream through the service.
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