On Thursday, Disney+ unveiled its first-ever ad-supported subscription tier, Disney+ Basic. The new plan will allow customers to sign up for a lower-priced streaming option than what is otherwise being offered for the service. The new subscription option runs $7.99 per month, the same price as the previous ad-free experience, which saw its price increase to $10.99 monthly in conjunction with the Disney+ Basic release.
However, despite the much-anticipated pricing plan finally being available to U.S. consumers, it will not actually be available to a large number of customers. As part of the launch, Disney revealed that the new ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) plan will not be available to individuals who are streaming on Roku devices. Not only can viewers not sign up for the new ad-supported plan via Roku, but they will not be to stream Disney+ via the service’s existing app on the Roku platform.
A Disney spokesperson told The Streamable, “We remain committed to working with Roku and reaching an agreement that is fair and advantageous to both parties, giving their users more choice and flexibility.” However, the company did not provide any further insight into the state of the discussions, what is causing the impasse, or when it is likely to be resolved.
Disney+ Basic not being available on Roku devices will apply to both customers who opt for the ad-supported plan as a standalone service, and those who decide to sign up for one of the Disney Bundle options that include the AVOD Disney+ pricing tier. The Disney Bundle Duo Basic includes Hulu and Disney+’s AVOD tiers, while the Trio Basic package adds in ESPN+ — which does not offer an ad-free experience.
The company also says that Disney+ with Ads also won’t be available Microsoft Windows Desktop app at launch.
Related: Disney+'s Ad-Supported Tier is Now Available: Here's Everything You Need to Know
This likely stems from some sort of carriage dispute over the fact that Roku, while being the largest streaming device manufacturer in the United States, employs a business model geared primarily toward being an advertising platform for streamers, content providers, and other brands. This has caused issues in the past with other platforms, including HBO Max, Peacock, Bally Sports+, and the ill-fated CNN+ all launching without Roku support.
More likely than not, this will be remedied fairly quickly as there’s just too much money at stake for both sides to prolong this standoff for longer than necessary. So, while there will likely be millions of Roku users who will be frustrated by the inability to watch Disney+ on its new ad-supported tier, they should see some sort of resolution sooner rather than later.
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.”