The Future. Taking a cue from the rise of FAST channels, Disney+ will soon add programmed genre and franchise-specific channels to its app, helping with both discoverability and engagement on the platform — the keys to profitability. Expect other streamers to follow suit as users complain that they spend too much time just trying to find something to watch amid a sea of titles.
Disney Channel 2.0Can’t decide what to watch on Disney+? Soon, you can just flip to the Marvel or Pixar channel.
Disney announced that it would offer several channels (the old-school, pop in wherever the show or movie is at kind) of its content right on Disney+ (similar to the channels it has on the ABC app), although no rollout date has been set.
The move is meant to get users to spend more time on Disney+, instead of navigating out of the app in search of something else to watch.
It also adds a premium “always on” feature for advertisers, allowing brands to passively reach paying subscribers.
The channels are part of Disney+’s overhaul of the platform from a more kid-friendly streamer into a general entertainment one. Disney+ finished integrating Hulu into the platform, and it plans to do the same for ESPN’s upcoming app.
The pitch: once you’re in Disney+, you won’t want to go anywhere else.
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