How Disney+ Will Keep You Glued to Your Screen

Published: July 25, 2024

How Disney+ Will Keep You Glued to Your Screen

By Movieguide® Contributor

Disney+ is looking into alternative — and potentially more addictive — routes to gain more subscribers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “The entertainment giant is developing a host of new features aimed at lengthening the amount of time subscribers spend viewing its shows.”

This comes after a new report from Nielsen’s total TV and streaming snapshot indicates that only 2% of total streaming occurs on Disney+, a 14.5% usage increase in June.

Disney+ plans to incorporate new “algorithms to offer more personalized recommendations, custom promotional art for original series that’s designed to match a user’s tastes, and even email reminders encouraging viewers to finish shows that they started watching,” IndieWire reported.

In March, Disney+ lost 1.3 million subscribers due to increased subscription costs. Movieguide® reported:

In the last four months of 2023, Disney+ lost 1.3 million “core” subscribers.

“According to the information in the [2024 Q1 earnings] call, Disney+ went from 112.6 million subscribers in September 2023 down to 111.3 million in December 2023,” Early Game wrote. “This comes after Disney introduced new subscription prices, with the ad-free tier increasing its price from $10.99/month to $13.99/month in October 2023.”

The Q1 report notes that the end of its global summer promotion also impacted the dip in subscribers. And Disney didn’t earn more than it did in the prior year’s quarter.

1.3 million is only a fraction of the number of subscribers it lost earlier in 2023. In last year’s second quarter, 12.5 million Indian subscribers dropped their subscriptions as Disney shifted away from “low-margin” customers, Variety reported.

The streamer hopes to retain and regain subscribers through the new features “designed to make it easier than ever to find new shows to watch.”

“…the company is also considering adding linear channels to its streaming services that broadcast films and shows from its most prolific properties on a constant loop, perfect for viewers paralyzed by indecision,” IndieWire explained.

These genre-specific channels would continuously feature Disney properties like Marvel or Star Wars.

“Many streaming platforms are starting to add themed channels, allowing a more traditional television experience, where you can flick through channels to find something to watch,” What’s On Disney Plus explained. “With thousands of movies and shows available within Disney+, it can be tricky to find something to watch, so the use of channels would help with this.”

The changes could come within the next six months.