Ah, Disney+. If you weren’t supplying a finite supply of Shōgun (that we promise we’ll get around to watching), we’d likely cancel our subscription tonight. That appears to be the case for many of the House of Mouse’s customers, which is why Disney+ is looking to include FAST (free, ad-supported streaming television) channels into the mix.
Disney+ a whole lot of Star Wars
That’s what The Information (via Engadget) reckons is happening, anyway. FAST channels are nothing new. Roku, Pluto TV and Tubi are all well-acquainted with the idea, even if they aren’t active in South Africa. The report doesn’t say where Disney+ might be rolling out these channels, but considering the company’s sizeable grasp on South Africa’s streaming industry, we’d be surprised if we were skipped out.
Disney is hoping that the addition of free, 24-hour channels might convince the average customer to stick around a little longer and eventually sign up for the more premium offering that it’s reportedly having such trouble shilling. Even if FAST channels can’t quite whip up a paying following, they’ll be earning some ad revenue simultaneously. It’s a win-win, really.
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Ultimately, FAST’s success comes down to whether the channels are worthy of a non-paying viewer’s attention. The report doesn’t detail exactly which shows might make the cut, but it appears as though a multitude of Marvel and Star Wars series and some Pixar titles will be heavily involved. As long as it plays Andor on repeat, in perpetuity, we may just tune in.
At the time of writing, there’s no word on when Disney+ might incorporate these channels into the service. We’re guessing it’ll hit sometime around June 2024, right after Disney begins that massive password-sharing crackdown that will leave thousands of friends of subscribers without a working subscription.