Disney+ is considering a free streaming tier

Disney+ is considering making some of its streaming library available to watch for free, according to a report from Business Insider. Disney’s chief product and technology officer Adam Smith discussed the possibility of offering free-tier content during a town hall on Thursday, the report says.

It’s unknown which shows or movies would be included, or when the streaming platform would consider launching the offering, according to the report. The exploration comes as free, ad-supported streaming has been claiming a growing share of viewing in the U.S. According to data from Neilson, free streaming services represented 18.7% of U.S. television watch time in April 2026, up from 16.8% in April 2025 and 12.7% in April 2024. That climb suggests the shift toward no-cost, ad-supported viewing isn’t a blip — it’s a sustained trend that platforms like YouTube and Tubi have been capturing.

A free tier could help Disney+ differentiate itself from subscription-only peers like Netflix and Amazon Prime. It would also put Disney+ in line with tactics already used elsewhere in the industry: Apple TV+ and Paramount+ both already allow non-subscribers to access a few free episodes. Disney+ would be extending that model rather than pioneering it, but doing so at Disney’s scale — with a back catalog spanning multiple studios and franchises — could carry more competitive weight than smaller-scale free-episode offerings from rivals.

None of this is confirmed. Business Insider’s report describes an internal discussion, not an announced product, and Disney has not laid out what content would be free, how it would be funded, or on what timeline it might arrive.

Why it matters

A free tier would let Disney+ capture budget-conscious viewers who have been migrating to ad-supported platforms like YouTube and Tubi, while carving out a competitive edge against subscription-only rivals like Netflix. Whether Disney follows through will hinge on details the company hasn’t yet disclosed — what content, and when.