Streaming prices keep going up, and Disney+ is no exception. But the company may be thinking about moving in the opposite direction, at least partially, by introducing a free tier that lets people access some content without paying a cent.
According to Engadget, Business Insider reported that Disney sources say the company is weighing up a plan to make some Disney+ content available without a paid subscription. Disney’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Adam Smith, apparently hinted at the idea during an internal town hall event, though he gave no timeline or details about the scale of what’s being considered.
What that free tier would actually look like is still anyone’s guess. Disney hasn’t said whether it would move existing content in front of the paywall or create new programming made specifically for free users. The company already added vertical video support to Disney+ this year, including original short-form content alongside promotional clips for shows and movies on the platform. It’s easy to imagine that kind of bite-sized content being the foundation of a free tier, even if nothing official has been confirmed.
The move would make sense as a response to a real problem Disney faces. Younger viewers are spending more and more time on free platforms like YouTube rather than paid streaming services. Offering a no-cost entry point could bring some of those users back into the Disney ecosystem, where the company can serve them ads and potentially convert them into paying subscribers over time.
It’s worth noting how this would stack up against the competition. Right now, none of Disney’s major rivals offer a genuinely free plan:
- Netflix has no free tier at all
- Prime Video is only free if you already pay for an Amazon Prime membership
- Apple TV+ lets non-subscribers watch select season premieres, but that’s not the same as a free plan
If Disney does follow through, it would be the first of the big streamers to offer a proper free option, which would be a notable shift in how these services think about growth. The traditional model has been to chase subscribers willing to pay. A free tier flips that, prioritising reach over immediate revenue.
For context, Disney+ currently offers several paid plans. The bundle with Hulu and ads runs $13 per month, while the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu Premium bundle costs $20 per month. A free, ad-supported option sitting below those tiers would give the service a much wider funnel, assuming Disney is willing to accept the trade-off.
Disney has not made any official announcement, and Engadget says it has reached out to the company for comment. For now, this remains an internal conversation rather than a confirmed product decision.