A Disney executive calls free access for Spectrum cable customers to Disney+ Basic streaming "the best of both worlds."
Disney and Charter Communications — which has 32 million Spectrum cable subscribers in 41 states — late last week announced that the Disney+ version with advertising is available at no additional cost to all Spectrum TV Select customers.
Spectrum customers should go to https://www.spectrum.com/cp/disney-plus for information on how to sign up.
Activating a free Disney+ Basic subscription through Spectrum will not replace any existing Disney+ subscriptions customers may already have, the cable company says. So once customers sign up for the free Spectrum-provided subscription, they will need to cancel their existing Disney+ subscriptions at the source (Roku, Apple TV, Disney, etc.) or they will continue to be charged for those, a Spectrum official tells me.
From the release: "Charter video customers can immediately begin streaming iconic entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Stars Wars and National Geographic, including movies, TV shows and original programs through the Xumo Stream Box or any other Disney+ supported device."
On Aug. 31, Spectrum and Charter cable systems dropped ESPN and all other Disney channels when talks broke off over Charter's desire to get a piece of the popular Disney+ streaming services. Executives at Charter, the nation's second-largest cable operator, at the time said the "current video ecosystem is broken" after seeing cable TV lose nearly 25 million customers (25%) to cord-cutting in five years.
ESPN and some Disney channels were restored on Sept.11 — hours before the season kickoff for ESPN's Monday Night Football — when the cable company and Disney reached what they called a "transformative, multi-year distribution agreement." The announcement promised that the ad-supported Disney+ Basic would be provided to Spectrum customers "in coming months," but immediately Spectrum customers lost Disney's Freeform, Disney Junior, Disney XD, FX Movies, FXX, Baby TV and Nat Geo Wild channels.
Here's the full release:
DISNEY+ BASIC NOW AVAILABLE TO CHARTER’S SPECTRUM TV SELECT CUSTOMERS
The Streaming Home of Thousands of Hours of Exclusive Shows and Movies, Now Included for Spectrum Video Customers at No Extra Cost
Stamford, CT and Burbank, CA – January 4, 2024 – Charter Communications, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company today announced that the ad-supported version of Disney+ is now available in all Spectrum TV Select packages nationwide at no additional cost. As part of the two companies’ transformative new distribution agreement, Charter video customers can immediately begin streaming iconic entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Stars Wars and National Geographic, including movies, TV shows and original programs through the Xumo Stream Box or any other Disney+ supported device.
“With the launch of the Disney+ Basic offer, TV Select customers can now enjoy access to Disney’s popular streaming content as well as their high-quality linear TV channels, all included as part of one video package,” said Tom Montemagno, Executive Vice President, Programming Acquisition for Charter. “As the video industry continues to evolve, we are committed to including direct-to-consumer apps like Disney+ with Spectrum services while providing a simplified TV viewing experience through platforms such as the Xumo Stream Box. We are pleased to partner with Disney to further this goal to the benefit of our mutual customers.”
Disney+ is the streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, as well as exclusive original programs, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. This year, Disney+ viewers can look forward to additional episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as well as highly anticipated premieres including Marvel Studios’ Echo, Doctor Who, Star Wars: The Acolyte, and additional acclaimed series and blockbuster theatrical films from The Walt Disney Company.
“The inclusion of Disney+ alongside a curated lineup of our TV channels brings the best of both worlds from Disney’s unrivaled entertainment portfolio to Charter’s video customers,” said Justin Connolly, President, Platform Distribution, The Walt Disney Company. “Our goal has always been to meet consumers where they are, and these collective offerings will maximize value for Spectrum TV Select customers while simultaneously broadening the audience of our advertiser supported streaming services.”
Spectrum TV Select customers can learn more and activate their Disney+ Basic subscription by creating an account at no additional cost at https://www.spectrum.com/cp/disney-plus. Customers who already have Disney+ can go to the website or app where Disney+ was purchased to manage their subscriptions to receive the full benefit of their Spectrum-provided service.
In addition to Disney+ Basic, Charter plans to begin including complimentary access to ESPN+ in its Spectrum TV Select Plus video package in the coming months. ESPN+ includes more than 30,000 exclusive, live sports events, including exclusive UFC events, NHL live games, college sports from more than 20 conferences, international soccer, exclusive PGA TOUR LIVE coverage, Grand Slam tennis, international cricket and more. ESPN+ also gives fans exclusive access to on-demand original content, including popular series like Peyton’s Places, and the Places Universe shows, Man in the Arena, The Captain, Why Not Us and the entire library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.
