Disney+ Now Exploring Surprising New Features to Keep Audiences Hooked

As the streaming wars continue, the battle for audiences’ attention has become the new focus for streaming services, and Disney+ is looking at new ways to keep viewers engaged. As streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video become the new normal in the world of TV, companies are finding new methods to profit off of audiences’ viewing hours. This last year has seen multiple platforms introduce adverts to lower tiered subscribers, and Disney+ is now focusing on ensuring enough audiences can sit through them.

Unveiled in a new report by the Wall Street Journal, Disney+ will be implementing new methods of keeping viewers engaged and binge-watching the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney shows and movies. The strategy will also be adopted by Disney’s sister platforms, Hulu and ESPN+. Some of these changes are simple, like an updated algorithm that recommends better tailored shows and movies to individual subscribers. Other ideas include cosmetic components that could hook audiences’ attention towards new shows, or dragging them back to finish watching past binge-watches.

Custom thumbnails and art for popular shows could be making its way to Disney+, with art styles tailored to individual users to appeal to their tastes. Additionally, Disney has reportedly considered sending e-mail reminders to users inboxes reminding them about shows they’ve left half-completed.

One of the most surprising ideas revealed in the report, though, is that executives at Disney+ are considering running live-streaming channels, which will air some of the platform’s most popular shows and movies on a loop. The goal is to hook prospective viewers who are undecided on which show or movie to click on, allowing them to jump in without the need for a definitive choice. Two channels have already been suggested, with one constantly showing movies and shows from the MCU, with another airing re-runs of The Simpsons.

Streaming Is Slowly Reverting to the Network Television Model

In the age of the internet, streaming is the next big thing for media consumption. The ability to watch almost anything, ad-free, at the touch of a button, or voice command was once the stuff of science fiction. For years, audiences and media outlets have been declaring network TV to be a thing of the past as studios and distributors all flocked to create their own streaming services.

However, the last few years have seen the reality of the subscription-based streaming models hit studios’ wallets, leaving them scrambling for new ways to generate revenue from the model with a single source of cash flow. As a result, ad-based subscription tiers have been introduced over the last year to platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. For some, streaming services introducing adverts is akin to YouTube’s online only service. However, many have compared the change to the good old days of network TV. One of the biggest draws of streaming was the ad-free viewing experience, and now (for lower-tiered users) that experience has already gone.

Related

Best TV Series to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

From The Simpsons to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, here are the ten best TV series to watch on Disney Plus right now.

According to data collected by Exploding Topics, Disney+ is the second-biggest streaming platform by paid subscribers, with 157 million accounts as of May 2023. However, it is almost 100 million users behind Netflix, which currently dominates the market at over 260 million paid users. Not only does Netflix hold the largest market share, they also utilize the most sophisticated algorithm.

Platforms like Disney+, Max, Apple TV+, and Paramount+ (that’s a lot of pluses), are desperately playing catch-up with Netflix’s recommendation algorithm that tailors a user’s recommendations based on their watch-history, viewing hours, and likes. For now, we will just have to wait and see what Disney+ comes up with as the streaming war rages on.