Roku announced that the ad-supported Disney+ tier, Disney+ Basic, is now available to its users. When the ad-supported plan launched four months ago, many users were surprised to find that it wasn’t accessible on Roku.
At the time, Disney told AapkaDost it was still in talks with Roku about reaching a deal that would be convenient for both parties. We understood at the time that the dispute was about an ad-sharing agreement, as channels are required to enter an ad-revenue split with Roku by default.
Now, four months later, the ad-supported subscription is finally available to all users of Roku’s streaming devices. Disney+ Basic (with ads) costs $7.99 per month, while Disney+ Premium (no ads) costs $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 lets subscribers stream simultaneously on up to four supported devices. In addition, the advertising plan includes the entire catalog of content from Disney+. Level ads range from 15 to 30 or 45 seconds in length. Disney+ has also capped the total ad load to an average of four minutes of advertising per hour. Preschool content does not contain ads.
However, the subscription does not allow offline viewing or downloads. Other features that are not included in the Disney + Basic are GroupWatch, SharePlay and Dolby Atmos. A Disney spokesperson told AapkaDost last December that the company hopes to support this in the future, but the exact timing is unknown.
Disney+ notes on its support website that once users have updated the Disney+ app to the latest version, they will be able to start streaming Disney+ Basic on Roku.