Disney is considering launching free, ad-supported streaming television channels, CEO Josh D'Amaro confirmed during the company's quarterly earnings call on 5 August 2026. He had nothing specific to announce yet, but told investors the idea was actively on the table.

The channels would operate as FAST — free ad-supported streaming TV, a format that runs scheduled, linear-style programming supported entirely by commercials rather than subscriptions. Think of it as a modern version of flipping through broadcast channels, only delivered through an app or smart-TV interface. Pluto TV, owned by Paramount, and Amazon's Freevee already operate in this space.

D'Amaro described the free offering as a "funnel" designed to drive sign-ups for Disney+, Hulu and other Disney subscription services. He told investors that FAST channels would expand Disney's reach to more price-sensitive customers — viewers who may not yet be ready to pay for a monthly streaming plan. The free channels would give them a taste of Disney content and, the company hopes, push them toward a paid subscription down the line.

There is also a direct advertising argument. D'Amaro said Disney is "fairly well sold" on its existing AVOD inventory — ad-supported video on demand, the commercial slots embedded inside its paid streaming tiers. More ad inventory from free channels would accelerate ad revenue growth. Disney's streaming advertising sales were already up 5% year-over-year in the June 2026 quarter on higher impressions, according to the company's fiscal third-quarter results reported the same day (Variety).

D'Amaro, the newly named CEO of Disney, previously served as Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and was named the company's first-ever Chief Brand Officer in April 2023. That background showed in his framing: he told investors that Disney views streaming and its parks and experiences division as the two key pillars for future growth. He called Disney+ the "digital centerpiece" of Disney's relationships with fans and a "global touchpoint" that complements data the company collects through its theme parks and cruise ships.

That data matters to Disney's longer-term ambitions. D'Amaro said a large global streaming user base would help drive growth through new technology cycles, including artificial intelligence, and would provide a first-party data set enabling personalisation and product innovation — the kind of tailored recommendations and targeted advertising that streaming platforms increasingly rely on.

The timing comes as analysts have questioned whether Disney+ and Hulu can sustain the subscriber growth needed to justify Disney's reported investment of more than $24 billion in content. A free tier that pulls in new viewers and converts some of them to paid subscribers would address that pressure directly.

For viewers, the practical effect is straightforward: if Disney launches FAST channels, free content from its library could become available without a subscription — supported by ads, scheduled like old broadcast TV, and aimed at getting you to eventually click through to Disney+.

Whether and when that happens, though, is still undecided. D'Amaro was clear: Disney is considering it, but not yet committing to it (Variety).