Business Insider reports a free Disney+ tier is on Disney’s streaming priority list for fiscal 2027, according to an internal presentation shown to tech staff. More short vertical video and more creator clips made the list, too.
Disney has put a free version of Disney+ on its streaming to-do list for the year ahead.
Technology executives showed the list to streaming employees at a town hall late last week, Business Insider reported Monday, Nov. 9, citing an internal presentation. Dave Lindsay, Disney’s vice president of product management, was among the presenters.
The priorities cover Disney’s fiscal 2027, which started in October and runs through next fall. Disney hasn’t announced a free tier or given a launch date.
What’s on Disney’s streaming priority list?
Three items stand out in the report, and all of them aim at engagement, the time people spend in the app each day:
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A free tier: some Disney+ content available without a paid subscription
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Vertical video: more short clips in the swipeable feed on the Disney+ mobile app
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Creator content: more videos from outside creators inside Disney+
Is Disney+ getting a free tier?
Not yet, though Disney’s CEO has talked about it on the record. Josh D’Amaro told analysts on Disney’s Aug. 5 earnings call that the company was “exploring a free product for consumers,” but he had nothing specific to announce.
He said it would reach price-sensitive viewers and bring new people toward paid Disney+ plans. It would also give Disney more ad space to sell, since much of the current space was already spoken for.
A month earlier, Business Insider reported that Adam Smith, Disney Entertainment’s chief product and technology officer, had raised free content at a streaming town hall without giving a timeline.
What is Verts on Disney+?
Disney+’s TikTok-style video feed, launched for U.S. subscribers on the mobile app in March after a preview at CES in January. You swipe through clips from Disney movies and shows, then add a title to your Watchlist or start watching.
In August, Disney signed a content-sharing deal with TikTok that gives participating creators access to material from hundreds of Disney films and series, including Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars titles. Selected fan videos will run on TikTok and in Verts, starting with a U.S. pilot Disney said would begin in the coming months.
Disney said in January that it wants Disney+ to be a daily stop for viewers. The new priority list puts short video and creator clips right next to the free tier.
Why is Disney chasing YouTube?
Because YouTube is where TV time is going. YouTube took a record 15.8% of all U.S. TV viewing in August, according to Nielsen’s Gauge report, released Oct. 22. Netflix had 7.7%, and Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ combined had 4.8%.
That gives YouTube more than three times the TV time of Disney’s whole streaming lineup. Even counting ABC and Disney’s cable channels, Disney had 9.3% of TV time in August, which ranked second among media companies and still trailed YouTube by 6.5 points.
Free viewing keeps growing, too, according to Nielsen data Business Insider cited in July. The three biggest free streaming services took 18.7% of U.S. TV time in April 2026, up from 12.7% in April 2024.
How much does Disney+ cost now?
More than it used to. Disney raised prices again this fall, for new subscribers on Sept. 23 and for existing subscribers’ bills on or after Oct. 21:
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Disney+ with ads: $12.49 a month
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Disney+ Premium (no ads): $21.49 a month
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Disney+ Premium annual: $214.99 a year
Disney+ launched Nov. 12, 2019, at $6.99 a month, so it turns 7 on Thursday. The ad-free plan now costs more than three times that, and even the plan with ads costs 79% more.
A free tier would be Disney’s pitch to price-sensitive viewers, the group D’Amaro named in August.
Did Disney employees ask about layoffs?
Yes, according to the report, which says tech staff pressed executives about possible job cuts at the town hall. Business Insider first reported those questions last week. We covered them Friday, along with Deadline’s report that Disney’s next layoff round looks like January.
When will Disney say more about a free Disney+?
The next chance is Tuesday, Nov. 17. Disney reports fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year results before the stock market opens that day, with a webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET. D’Amaro first talked about a free product on the last one of those calls, in August.
Are other streamers trying free tiers?
Some are weighing it. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in July that a free offering could make sense in some markets, Business Insider reported. BI also reported that Paramount Skydance is exploring a free tier.
Free tiers have come and gone before. Hulu started out free with ads and ended free viewing in 2016. Peacock stopped offering its free tier to new customers in January 2023.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
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Business Insider (Nov. 9, 2026), the internal presentation, Disney’s fiscal 2027 streaming priorities and the layoff questions
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Investing.com (Nov. 9, 2026), Dave Lindsay’s role and the late-week town hall
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Business Insider (July 2026), Adam Smith’s free-content remarks and Nielsen’s April free-streaming figures
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Disney (Aug. 5, 2026), Josh D’Amaro’s earnings call remarks on a free product
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Nielsen (Oct. 22, 2026), August TV viewing shares for YouTube, Netflix and Disney
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TechCrunch (Jan. 8, 2026), the Disney+ vertical video preview at CES
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Disney Food Blog (March 12, 2026), the Verts rollout
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NewscastStudio (Aug. 5, 2026), the Disney and TikTok content-sharing deal
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WDWMagic (Sept. 23, 2026), current Disney+ prices
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Disney (Oct. 12, 2026), the Nov. 17 earnings date and webcast time
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Deadline (Nov. 5, 2026), the January layoff timing
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9to5Mac (Aug. 3, 2026), Greg Peters’ comments and Paramount Skydance, citing Business Insider
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TechCrunch (Jan. 31, 2023), Peacock ending its free tier for new customers
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