Disney+ responds to claims the streamer will now show ads on all subscription tiers

Disney+ has clarified claims that it will be adding adverts to all of its subscriber tiers.

Traditionally, the streamer’s tiers have included a lower Standard with Ads plan, which costs £5.99 per month and doesn’t allow ad-free viewing.

However, reports have emerged claiming that the Standard and Premium tiers, which are described as ad-free and cost £9.99 and £14.99 a month respectively, will now include some forms of promotional content.

According to updated terms sent to UK users (via IGN and Dexterto), changes in the Disney+ Subscriber Agreement “may include: (i) promotional content, (ii) sponsorships, and (iii) advertisements before/after playback of Content and in channels, live/as-live, special events, and any third-party services content”. However, the exception is in Junior Mode, with ads never shown regardless of the plan tier.

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Trailers and promotional content have appeared before and after shows and films regardless of subscription tier for a while, though Disney+ appears to have allayed worries that ads may be shown in the middle of content as some have feared.

In response to the reports, the streamer has now clarified that users on ad-free tiers will continue to not see traditional ads interrupting films and series (via anime2you.de). However, ads and sponsorship may still appear in live sports broadcasts, as is standard practice.

The company also says references to their own content falls under relevant regulations – for example trailers for films or shows, and that the “viewing experience is unchanged”.

A moderator on Disney+’s Reddit page also claims that “nothing” has changed, while TechRadar also has confirmation from Disney that ads won’t be shown during films and series.

Disney+ is known for streaming a range of Disney and wider content, including shows under the Hulu label.

This year, the streamer has also carried livestreams of US festivals Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, showing the Live Nation-produced events alongside Hulu after the latter hosted streams over the past six years.

“Music festivals used to be experiences reserved for the people who could physically be there,” said Kevin Chernett, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Media Partnerships at Live Nation.

“Now they’re becoming global live moments that fans want to experience together in real time, no matter where they are in the world. Expanding this partnership with Disney+ and Hulu allows these festivals to reach music fans at an entirely different scale.”