Disney is exploring a free tier for Disney+
Disney is considering making part of its Disney+ library available for free, without a paid subscription. The company's Chief Product & Technology Officer, Adam Smith, raised the idea at an internal town hall on July 10, according to Business Insider. Disney has not publicly confirmed or denied the plans, and no timeline has been set.
The idea
Smith told employees the company is exploring whether some Disney+ content could be unlocked without a subscription. No format or scope has been defined — it's unclear whether this would mean dipping into the existing back catalogue or producing dedicated content for a free tier. Disney+ already tested the waters earlier this year with a vertical, TikTok-style short-video feed featuring original clips and film and show trailers.
Current paid plans in the US run $13/month for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads, or $20/month without. In the UK, Disney+ Standard with Ads costs £5.99/month, Standard ad-free is £9.99, and Premium is £14.99 — all following a price increase in September 2025.
Why it makes sense right now
Free ad-supported streaming is growing fast. Platforms like Tubi and Pluto TV collectively captured 18.7% of US TV viewing in April 2026, up from 12.7% two years earlier, per Pocket-lint. YouTube alone accounts for 13.45% of US TV screen time. Disney is watching that audience and clearly wants a share of it.
In the UK, the competitive pressure is even sharper. BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and My5 are all free, and Tubi launched in the UK in July 2024. Disney+ raising its prices while free alternatives multiply is a difficult position to hold.
What to expect
Nothing is imminent. This was an internal conversation, not a product announcement. Disney's silence since the town hall suggests the idea is still at an exploratory stage. If a free tier does arrive, the US market would almost certainly see it first — European rollout strategy, regulatory considerations, and local content licensing would all add complexity for markets like the UK.
For now, existing subscribers have no reason to act. But if Disney does push ahead, it would mark a meaningful shift for a platform that has spent the past year raising prices rather than lowering barriers.
