Disney has updated its global Disney+ subscriber agreement to allow advertising, promotions, and sponsorships across its service plans, a change that could affect South Africa’s premium streaming market.
The updated terms, issued on 9 September, state that advertisements may interrupt films and series, potentially covering the local Premium tier, which costs about R180 per month. The agreement also prohibits ad-blocking technology and allows Disney to suspend or restrict accounts that breach the provision, while Junior Mode profiles remain ad-free.
Stuff SA reports that Disney+’s South African offering includes a Premium plan at R180 and a newer Basic plan at R50. The platform has also launched a new Disney+ app, replacing the previous Hotstar-based application.
Disney South Africa said the viewing experience would not change between tiers, with advertising expected to focus mainly on live events and promotions for Disney-owned content. MyBroadband reported that Disney did not respond to its request for comment.
No advertising has been activated for South African subscribers at this stage. However, the revised terms create a contractual framework for Disney+ to introduce advertising inventory, potentially signalling a further shift towards hybrid subscription-and-advertising models in South Africa’s streaming market.
