Disney May Be Taking a Page Out of Tubi’s and Pluto TV Playbook: ‘We’re Exploring a Free Product For Consumers,’ Says Josh D'Amaro

Disney May Be Taking a Page Out of Tubi’s and Pluto TV Playbook: ‘We’re Exploring a Free Product For Consumers,’ Says Josh D'Amaro Ananya Gairola Sat, August 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM GMT+2 5 min read DIS Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Walt Disney Co. is preparing to expand beyond its traditional subscription model by exploring a free, ad-supported streaming offering to reach more viewers while strengthening Disney+ and its advertising business.

Disney Explores Free Streaming Option To Expand Reach The comments came on Wednesday during Disney's fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings call. Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng asked whether the company would pursue a free ad-supported television offering similar to Fox Corp. 's Tubi , Paramount's Skydance's Pluto TV and The Roku Channel .

Don't Miss: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro said the company is evaluating the idea but is not ready to announce any plans.

"We're exploring a free product for consumers, one that will allow us to accomplish several goals and hopefully do that efficiently," D'Amaro said. According to the CEO, a free offering could help Disney attract consumers who are more sensitive to subscription prices, an audience the company views as an important opportunity for long-term growth. Disney Sees Opportunity To Grow Ad Revenue and Disney+ Subscribers Beyond expanding its audience, Disney also sees advertising as a key benefit of a free streaming service.

"Unlike a lot of our AVOD competitors, we're fairly well-sold, meaning more inventory would actually help us accelerate our ad revenue growth," D'Amaro said. He added that a free streaming product could also serve as an entry point for new customers before they eventually upgrade to a paid Disney+ subscription. "As you mentioned in your question, a free offering could help us drive top-of-funnel Disney+ subscriber growth," he said.

"Nothing specific to announce today, but definitely something that we're considering. " Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Free streaming platforms such as Tubi, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel have gained popularity as consumers seek lower-cost entertainment options amid rising subscription prices. At the same time, major streaming companies, including Netflix Inc.

and Disney+, have increasingly leaned on cheaper ad-supported plans to attract new users while improving profitability. Entertainment Drives Disney Earnings Beat Adjusted earnings climbed to $2. 06 per share, topping Wall Street's consensus estimate of $1.

86. Revenue increased 7% year over year to $25. 25 billion, narrowly missing analysts' expectations of $25.

40 billion. Story Continues Disney's entertainment division posted $11. 35 billion in revenue, marking a 6% increase from the same period last year.

The quarter was also supported by the strong theatrical performance of "Toy Story 5," which crossed $1 billion at the global box office. Photo by Mino Surkala via Shutterstock Read Next:  Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier. Think you're saving enough for your kids?

You might be dangerously off — see why Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts.

By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. Arrived Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100 .

This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. Realberry Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.

4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U. S.

states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests. FarmTogether Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.

S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches. Immersed Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing.

Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1. 5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

Fundrise Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth. Mode Mobile Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day.

Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte's fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.   EquityMultiple   For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000 , with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

© 2026 Benzinga. com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice.

All rights reserved.