Disney+ Adding Four More Always-On “Streams” In Expansion Of Live Programming Push
After dipping a toe into the continuous, live programming waters last month, Disney+ is adding four more live channels.
The new offerings, Hallowstream, Hits & Heroes, Throwbacks, and Real Life, expand on the two launched in August, ABC News and Disney+ Playtime.
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In announcing the expansion, the company took pains to describe the channels as “playlists” and “streams,” avoiding the acronym FAST, industry shorthand for “free, ad-supported streaming television.” One obvious reason for that is that the channels are not free and can only be accessed by subscribers to Disney+. The overall FAST marketplace has boomed in recent years, becoming a multi-billion-dollar segment, though subscription players have largely been reticent about mixing messages to paying customers.
Disney is adding the new channels for U.S. subscribers only as it gets set to raise prices for Disney+, Hulu and select bundles on October 17.
The Disney+ Playtime and ABC News streams have drawn more than 10 million hours of streaming in the U.S. since launching in September, the company said. The company also noted “early signs of overall engagement lift amongst subscribers who watch them.”
Disney last August reported 118.3 million core subscribers (domestic and international, excluding Hotstar) on Disney+ as of the end of the company’s fiscal third quarter, up from 117.6 million in the year-earlier period. Disney’s streaming portfolio turned a quarterly profit for the first time, slightly ahead of internal projections.
In describing the four new channels, Disney described them as “seasonally themed content from across the Disney+ catalog.” Hallowstream focuses on Halloween; Hits & Heroes serves up a “compilation of action-packed stories from marquee brands and franchises, including Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars; Throwbacks provides nostalgic pop culture content; and Real Life offers a lineup of traditional documentaries, biopics, and true stories.
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