When it first emerged, it positioned itself as the great cable disruptor. People weren't very happy with cable at the time. It felt expensive and restricted, especially when juxtaposed with exciting new streaming channels. But over the years, the gap between streaming and cable has narrowed considerably. Afraid that streaming is just cable, but now they started to get even more expensive. And with every new development in the world of streaming, there seems to be some truth to that concern. The most recent, The information reported that Disney+ planned to introduce old-style “TV channels” to its interface. (We saw this news via Gizmodo.) These “always on” Disney+ channels with advertising would emulate the current approach of the FAST channels, minus of course the F. (This is free, for the uninitiated). That's what The information reported
In his article, The information shared that Disney+ plans to add “live TV” channels to its interface. This content display format would work similarly to how Tubi and other FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels work. Disney+ would pre-program channels with content that subscribers could tune into without making a specific decision about what to watch. In other words, if the report is true, Disney+ would bring back TV channels as we've always known them. The information note channels may contain content groups such as “classic Disney animated films or animated films made by Pixar” or in addition War of the galaxies and the Marvel channels.
The idea, of course, is for subscribers to watch a channel for an extended period of time and be served ads as they do so. Of course, unlike other FAST channels, anything hosted on the Disney+ interface “will likely require viewers to be Disney+ subscribers.” The information notes that these old-school-style TV channels are “part of streaming services' broader focus on increasing the amount of time subscribers spend on their apps as the industry moves from 'try to sign up more people to try to make money'. It's worth noting that Disney+ has not confirmed or commented on this report.
Ultimately, there's nothing specifically wrong with Disney+ or any other streamer adding old-school-style TV channels to their content. People probably enjoy mindlessly tuning into shows they'd like to see bundled together. And there's always that element of surprise that seems new these days. However, the bigger picture that this potential Disney+ move helps paint is that cable and TV as we've always known them are literally making a comeback. And this time, they are segmented into four streamers who continuously raise their prices and reduce user experience, seeking greater profit. And that's not such a pretty picture.
