Disney+ Adding ‘Continuous Playlists’ for All Subscribers Starting in September
Live news from ABC and a preschool content-focused channel will come first, and will be followed by four other playlists later this fall.
The news that Disney+ and its corporate siblings Hulu and ESPN+ will be raising prices in October was met with predictable backlash from observers, as 2024 will mark the third year in a row that Disney hiked subscription rates for its streamers. The company did try to soften the blow slightly by announcing a new feature that will be introduced on Disney+ in the coming weeks: continuous playlists that allow viewers to lean back and watch a steady flow of shows and movies rather than forcing audiences to constantly choose what’s next.
Key Details:
- Continuous playlists will function much the same as FAST channels, but they’ll only be available to paid subscribers.
- ABC News Live and a preschool-themed playlist will be the first selections introduced, and will be followed by others.
- Continuous playlists will first arrive on Disney+ on Sept. 4.
Reports first emerged that Disney intended to launch live-streaming channels on Disney+ in April, but this week’s official announcement was the first official confirmation that such a plan was in the works. The new continuous playlists on Disney+ will function very similarly to free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels. They will play 24 hours per day and will automatically start the next title instead of forcing customers to pick for themselves what they’ll be watching next.
So why not just call the additions FAST channels instead of continuous playlists? For one thing, they’re not free. Viewers will still have to be paid Disney+ subscribers to watch continuous playlists on the service, though some will be available to customers of both its ad-free and ad-supported plans.
“Playlists are the latest example of how we’re providing the best value and experience for our subscribers every time they open Disney+,” Disney+ president Alisa Bowen said. “Whether it’s news, kids’ content, popular genres, hit TV shows or blockbuster films, there will be something for everyone in a lean-back viewing experience based on seasonality and interest.”
What Content Will Be Shown on Disney+ Continuous Playlists?
Disney+ will begin offering its continuous playlists on Wednesday, Sept. 4, when two selections will roll out: ABC News Live, which is already available on free streaming platforms like The Roku Channel and others, and a preschool-themed playlist featuring TV shows and shorts from Disney+ such as “The Lion Guard,” “Puppy Dog Pals,” “Sofia the First” and more.
In its announcement of the continuous playlists feature, Disney+ pledged that more channels would roll out for ad-free Premium subscribers throughout the fall. These playlists will feature content that is refreshed monthly, and the fact that they will initially only be available for ad-free customers suggests that they will not come with commercials, though that was not confirmed in the Disney press release. It seems likely that the channels on ad-supported plans will, in fact, be ad-supported.
The four additional playlists coming to Disney+ include:
- Seasonal Content: A collection of seasonal-themed content from across the Disney+ catalog.
- Epic Stories: A compilation of action-packed stories from marquee brands and franchises, including Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars.
- Throwbacks: A destination for nostalgic pop culture content.
- Real Life: A lineup of traditional documentaries, biopics, and true stories.
Disney hopes that these playlists will help keep viewers engaged with the service while they wait for a new season of “The Mandalorian” or another popular original show to come out. The Disney+ library is packed with titles that lend themselves easily to continuous playlists should the company want to make more such channels, and the initial launch of the ABC News Live channel will allow viewers to watch election coverage on Disney+ as well.
The flagship Disney streaming service is continuing to evolve. The company plans to launch an ESPN tile on Disney+ later this year, introducing live sports to the service for the first time. Disney has also integrated a huge selection of Hulu titles onto Disney+, allowing subscribers of both services to watch them all in one place.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”