Streaming on demand is the most popular way of watching movies and TV for obvious reasons: it’s way more convenient to watch something when you want to, not when a network slots it into a schedule. But many free, ad-supported channels, including Tubi and Plex, offer a “live TV” feature with a continuous stream of pre-programmed titles. And now Disney may be adding that feature to its flagship streaming service.
According to a new report in the Information, FAST channels could be coming to Disney+, with a goal of enticing viewers to linger on Disney+ longer. The Information, which sources unnamed “people involved in the planning,” notes that the strategy is “part of the broader focus of streaming services to increase the amount of time subscribers spend on their apps, as the industry pivots from trying to sign up more people to trying to actually make money.” (io9 reached out to Disney+, and the streamer had no comment.)
Basically, the thinking behind this is that Disney+ knows it has you locked in as a subscriber, tuning in to watch new episodes of The Mandalorian or X-Men ‘97. But it would really, really like it if you hung around after catching your show, and maybe soaked up some ads while you were there.
While Disney already has free live FAST channels accessible through its ABC app (an eclectic array of ABC shows including news, soap operas, game shows, and true crime), this new venture will be FAST with an asterisk, because, as the Information writes, it “will likely require viewers to be Disney+ subscribers.” However, beyond that, it would feel very much like all the other FAST channels out there, prospectively grouping “classic Disney animated movies or animated films made by Pixar,” as well as Marvel or Star Wars, according to the Information’s sources.
There’s no word on when these FAST channels may be coming to Disney+, but considering the measured approach the company took to integrating Hulu into the streamer, Disney fans probably should not expect any sudden changes. Would Disney+ adding FAST channels keep you streaming longer? Or do you think streamers should stop trying to… replicate exactly the way TV viewing used to be, in the days before streaming?