Disney Plus has updated its subscriber agreement, indicating that advertisements may now appear regardless of a user's subscription tier. The revised Service and Advertising clause 1.1.e explicitly states that ads and promotional content can be displayed to subscribers on both the standard Disney Plus and the ad-supported Basic tiers.
While the lower-tier plan may intersperse ads during programs, the Disney Plus Premium tier will only feature advertisements at the beginning or end of episodes or films. This change affects subscribers who pay the higher price for the Premium service in an effort to avoid commercials. The Premium tier costs $18.99 per month, an increase of $7 over the Basic plan, which costs $11.99 per month with ads.
The updated agreement also addresses the use of ad blockers, stating that Disney reserves the right to suspend or terminate subscriptions for users who employ such tools. Furthermore, the service may automatically upgrade an account using an ad blocker to the Disney Plus Premium tier and bill the user for the difference in price from the date of the upgrade.
Currently, the only accounts exempt from advertisements are those using Junior Mode. This development suggests a shift in Disney's streaming strategy, moving towards a model where increased subscription costs do not guarantee an ad-free viewing experience.