Roku has announced that the ad-supported Disney + category, Disney + Basic, is now available for its users. When the ad-supported four-month plan was launched, many users were surprised that it could not be accessed on Roku.
At the time, Disney told TechCrunch it was still in talks with Roku about reaching a mutually beneficial deal. Our understanding at the time was that the dispute was over an ad-sharing agreement where, by default, channels should be entered into an ad revenue split with Roku.
Now, four months later, the ad-supported plan is finally available to all users of Roku streaming devices. Disney + Basic (with ads) is $7.99 per month, and Disney + Premium (without ads) is $10.99 per month.
Disney + Basic allows viewers to stream high-quality video, including Full HD, HDR10, 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, and expanded aspect ratio with IMAX Enhanced. It also allows subscribers to stream on up to four supported devices simultaneously. In addition, the advertising plan includes the entire Disney + content catalog. The duration of the ads at the level varies from 15 to 30 or 45 seconds. Disney+ also caps total ad load at an average of four minutes of commercials per hour. Preschool content does not contain ads.
However, the plan does not allow offline viewing or downloads. Other features not included in Disney + Basic are GroupWatch, SharePlay, and Dolby Atmos. A Disney spokesperson told TechCrunch last December that the company hopes to support this in the future, but the exact timing is unknown.
Disney+ notes on its support site indicate that once users have updated the Disney+ app to the latest version, they will be able to start streaming Disney+ Basic on Roku.