The Walt Disney Company is rolling out the advertising-supported plan of its flagship Disney Plus streaming service to more European territories later this year.
Starting October 17, subscribers in Finland, Portugal and the Netherlands will be able to switch to the “Standard with Ads” plan for €6 per month (about $6.75 per month), a discount off the Standard plan, which costs €10 per month (about $11.20 per month).
“The strong momentum of our ad-supported plan, following its launch last year, underscores the importance of providing consumers with choice, flexibility, and value,” said Deborah Armstrong, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Media Networks and Advertising in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Disney, said in a statement. “As we expand into additional markets, Disney Plus continues to offer advertisers a prime opportunity to engage with our premium-streaming platform, featuring our beloved brands and an exceptional line-up of movies and TV series.”
The Standard with Ads tier will only be available as a monthly option, while the Standard and Premium plans are available through monthly or annual purchases. The Premium tier includes the same ad-free movies and TV shows, but with support for ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) video and Dolby Atmos audio.
Disney already offers the ad-supported tier in a number of European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden.
In some of those countries, the company has struck partnerships with advertisers to sponsor specific shows. In the United Kingdom, Uber One is the sponsor of the FX series “The Bear,” which streams through Disney Plus. In five other countries, Chloé fragrances sponsors “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” a French-language original series.
