Disney+ Basic Subscribers Consider Cancelling as New Tier Unavailable on Roku

This week saw The Walt Disney Company roll out Disney+ Basic, a new tier for their streaming services that is a few dollars cheaper but comes with ads within most of its content. The allure of a cheaper subscription is one that has enticed some viewers to change their plans but some are finding out the hard way that their new Disney+ subscriptions can't even be watched the way that they want to. TechCrunch was quick to notice that this new ad-based tier is "not currently available on Roku devices," meaning anyone with this subscription and a Roku is without a way to watch.

As with almost anything in this sphere it would appear that the cause for Disney+ Basic not appearing on Roku is down to one big thing, money. A rep for Disney revealed to the outlet that they are "in talks with Roku about reaching an agreement that suits both parties," one that TechCrunch guesses is about ad-revenue splitting. For what it's worth, financial analyst Michael Nathanson previously predicted that an ad-based tier of Disney+ had the potential to generate nearly $2 billion in revenue by 2025, a piece of the pie that Roku would be missing if it were allowed to happen through their devices (which also sell ads on their own content). This not only effects people with the  Disney+ Basic subscription but anyone with a bundle that also has Disney+ Basic

The sudden surprise that Disney+ Basic isn't available on Roku devices, something Disney+ acknowledges on its Help Center page, hasn't gone unnoticed. Many users who switched from the higher tier to a cheaper one were caught off guard and several are threatening to cancel their subscription completely. Check out what people are saying and let us know your feelings below!

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