With living costs rising and multiple streaming services offering great TV at the moment, it is hard to know what platforms to subscribe to. Fortunately, there is a cheaper version of one of the biggest streaming services on the way.

Disney+ has confirmed that an ad-supported tier will be launching in the future. However, how much will it cost, what countries will it be available in and what will it entail? We have answered all these questions below and will update it with the latest information.

You can also check out the best shows and movies available on Disney+ right now.

When is the Disney+ ad-supported tier launching?

Disney has not specified an exact release date, just that it will launch ‘later this year’. We will likely hear more in the coming months.

What countries will the Disney+ ad-supported tier launch in?

Currently, the only specific country confirmed to get the Disney+ ad-supported tier is the US. However, Disney did state that it will roll out globally in 2023.

As the UK is a key market for Disney+, we imagine that it will be available here.

How much will the Disney+ ad-supported tier cost?

It has not been confirmed how much the ad-supported tier will cost. However, we can take a guess at what we think Disney will charge for it. Hulu is another streaming service owned by Disney, and it also offers both ad-supported and ad-free tiers for subscribers.

The basic tier costs US$6.99 per month (or $69.99 per year), whilst the ad-free tier costs US$12.99 per month (or $129.99 per year). This equates to around a $6 difference between plans. Another streaming rival, HBO Max, offers a US$5 difference between its equivalent subscriptions.

Disney+ currently costs US$7.99/£7.99 per month (or $79.99/£79.99 per year). Therefore, you may be able to subscribe to Disney+ for less than $5/£5 per month.

However, this is only if Disney+ does not increase its prices before then – something that Disney CEO Bob Chapek has hinted at.

If it does not, it will be a huge win over Netflix, which is currently seeing a huge drop off in subscribers after increasing its prices earlier this year. Netflix is another streaming platform introducing an ad-supported tier this year. 

What will the ads on Disney+ look like?

Disney has confirmed that it will aim to average four minutes of advertising per hour – an amount that significantly undercuts traditional broadcast TV, as well as other streaming platform rivals such as Peacock and HBO Max.

The platform will not run any ads related to politics or alcohol, nor will it accept advertising from any other rival studios.

Any profiles that are set up for children of pre-school age will not have any adverts at all and shows designed for audiences of this age will be reviewed accordingly.

Some platforms with ad-supported tiers also have more limited content libraries, and restrict content to a specfic quality (such as HD). Disney hasn’t confirmed it will be doing this, but it is a possibility.