What will Disney+ charge in Australia for its ad-plan?
Disney is set to roll out ads-supported subscription plans in Australia and New Zealand in the coming months. There’s no launch date for this yet, but presumably Disney are announcing this ahead of taking the product out to market for ad buyers.
It’s worth noting that regardless of streaming service, most of the growth reported across subscription streaming services has been in lower-priced ad-supported streaming. A combination of cost of living pressures and most consumers being happy enough to watch a few ads to keep the price of their subscriptions down is driving the consumer shifts.
Beware anyone telling you that en masse everyone is cancelling their streaming subscriptions and just riding the content seven seas. That’s not reflected in reality. Most people are just switching to ad-supported plans.
The new plans at Disney will look like this once rolled out:
What we don’t know is what the pricing will look like. Competitors with ad supported plans:
Netflix: $9.99
HBO Max: $11.99
BINGE: $10
Paramount+: $7.99
My guess is that Disney will be priced similarly to HBO Max at around that $12 mark, though if we are to use US HBO Max vs Disney+ pricing benchmarks, it suggests the Disney price might end up being a little bit higher.
It is worth noting that in Australia Prime Video is offered with ads as the default package with a $2.99 upcharge to remove them.
I’ve banged this drum a number of times, but I continue to struggle with the idea that in 2026, with 4K as a default on pretty much every new TV that consumers have been buying for the last few years, Standard With Ads plans are still offering HD 1080p only. Why isn’t there a higher-priced 4K with Ads plans available through Netflix, Disney, and every other streamer with an ad-supported plan.
The message being taken to media buyers is that ads are only available for price-conscious viewers.
The hunt for a header image
Interesting note…
(Tho, I acknowledge that maybe it is only interesting to me… a criteria that has never stopped my curatorial approach to this newsletter before…)
While trying to come up with a header image for today’s newsletter, I thought I’d throw this into ChatGPT to see if it would give me something useful. As I feared, the concern of the Disney legal team stopped my request from being generated.
But, where this is maybe actually interesting… the public domain Mickey Mouse is still barred from generation:
Hmmm.
The absolute laziest, least-imaginative thing that any digital content producer can do in their work is to use a stock image of a piggy bank for a story related to finance.
So, in that spirit…
News Desk
Production on the Tomb Raider TV show has been paused from between one to six months after Sophie Turner aggravated a previous back injury. Read: Variety
Adding to the very good season 4 cast of The White Lotus is Rosie Perez and Heather Graham. Read: THR
Sony Television is shopping around a TV series based on the book Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story. Laura Dern is set to star, with Adam McKay producing. Dern will play book author and reporter Julie K Brown. There’s no word yet who will be portraying the island. Read: Variety
Netflix is reportedly keen on expanding its current two-game deal with the NFL to four games, including a new Thanksgiving Eve game and an international game. Read: WSJ
Ampere Analytics reports a 14% growth in streaming subscription revenues in 2025, passing $157.1 billion for the first time. The firm predict global revenues will pass $200 billion by 2030. Read: Worldscreen
Mama mia! Estimates peg the Super Mario Galaxy Movie opening at around a global $350m for the opening weekend. Read: Deadline
Andy Weir has apologised to Star Trek franchise head Alex Kurtzman for (rightfully) trashing his Star Trek shows. Read: THR
Grey’s Anatomy has been renewed for season 23 by the US ABC. Read: THR
I haven’t yet seen the Paradise s2 finale, but THR has this look at what it claims was a bonkers finale. As I’m trying to avoid spoilers, I haven’t read this article… I’m just assuming it’ll be of interest. Read: THR
Stellan Skarsgård is staying in the Fanning business, appearing alongside Dakota Fanning (sister of his Sentimental Value co-star Elle Fanning) in a yet-to-be-titled Apple TV thriller series. Read: THR
Peter Alexander has departed NBC News to join MS Now as Chief National Reporter and will anchor the 11am slot. Read: Variety
Trailer Park
Euphoria returns for season 3 April 12 on HBO Max.
This First House is a spin-off from This Old House. It debuts on The Roky Channel April 27. I’m not big on factual house renovation shows generally, but I have a strong interest in This Old House with its very stripped-back vibe.
From the producers of "This Old House," a team of young experts guide two millennial families through the process of buying, fixing up, and moving into their first home.
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie will open in cinemas April 14.
Urzila purports to be a sketch comedy, debuting on ABC and ABC iView April 29.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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