Disney+ Ads Will Run For Four Minutes Every Hour
Mickey Mouse is going full Scrooge McDuck, as Disney+ is clawing in the coins by introducing ads to the streaming service. Since its launch in late 2019, the Netflix rival has become a juggernaut of the streaming scene and left other services in the dust.
Offering a nostalgic back catalogue of everything from Peter Pan to Toy Story, there have also been all-star originals including The Mandalorian and WandaVision, as well as more adult shows thanks to Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. In the near future, we've got upcoming outings for Obi-Wan and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to keep us coughing up that subscription cost.
How Many Disney+ Ads Will There Be?
Click to enlargeIt's become the norm for streaming services to stick in ads and offer a lower-tier pricing structure. YouTube already did this with its Premium offering taking out ads, and now, it's set a precedent for how everyone else can try to squeeze a few more pennies out of us. Well, if Netflix is planning ads before 2023, why not Disney+?
As reported by Variety, Disney+ will only have four minutes of ads every hour. That might not sound too bad, but looking closer at the stats, that could be quite a few ads an hour. Discussing the future of Disney+, CEO Bob Chapek told investors last week how an ad-supported platform "is going to give us the ability to reach an even more broad audience as we expand Disney+ across multiple price points."
Before you start cancelling your subscription, Variety notes that NBC's Peacock has five minutes of ads per hour, HBO Max runs four minutes, and even the Disney-owned Hulu has up to 12 ads an hour. Although it sounds like a lot, Disney+ is slightly better than some of its competitors.
What Content Will Disney+ Ads Include?
Click to enlargeInstead of it being a free for all of risque content, Disney+ will try to keep its family friendly image. At launch, Disney won't accept ads about politics or alcohol, while rival entertainment studios will also be banned. Note that this says "at launch," so we'll have to see how long that one lasts. Accounts where the primary user is a child won't run ads at all, so don't worry about your little ones becoming hooked on the latest toy trend.
Typically, the Disney Channel has only accepted ads from sponsors that tie to programming, while Disney Junior has swerved away from ads altogether. Variety claims that media buyers are worried about the restrictions Disney is putting on its potential advertisers, but with the service boasting 137.7 million users at the start of last month, it can afford to be a little picky. Like it or lump it, your Disney+ is likely to look a little different by the end of 2022.