Since its inception in November 2019, Disney+ has been the home of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. But one aspect of Disney+ that doesn’t always get talked about is the technology behind it and the addition of new features.
Today, I’m focusing on five technical features that could help the future of Disney+.
Live Channels
Peacock was the first streaming wars combatant to introduce the concept of live channels, and I’m shocked fellow streamers haven’t copied this model. Especially Disney+ because live channels being on Disney+ has some serious potential and it would help avoid the endless scrolling and indecisiveness on what to watch.
Just imagine the actual Disney Channel on Disney+ airing DCOMs and other Disney Channel classic shows. A live National Geographic channel filled to the brim of all their programming from wildlife to space. A channel dedicated to Marvel that could feature the ever-expanding MCU and other Marvel content. A channel that airs Pixar films, shorts, and additional programming. A channel that just plays classic Disney films, think like Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Darby O’Gill and the Little People. A channel dedicated to just the Disney Parks! What about a channel that plays just The Muppets? Hey, let’s throw in a channel that plays just the Walt Disney anthology series as well.
I just listed eight-channel concepts, and I’m sure we could come up with a dozen more. 24/7 channels would help with the mindless scrolling on Disney+ and it would also get you to turn something on. If I see a Marvel film like Infinity War on TNT I always turn it on. I feel like that would be the case with Disney+ live channels. I would also tune in to TCM every time they would do Treasures from the Disney Vault night. Imagine if that just existed within the service?
Live channels could increase overall engagement for Disney+. Peacock was the trailblazer for this, and then Paramount+ also adopted it. It’s time for Disney to do the same.
As Disney moves more and more content off of its linear channels like Dancing with the Stars, having actual live channels on Disney+ may make the transition less jarring. The ability to have a lead-in for Dancing with the Stars on Disney+ and a show that follows after could be interesting for Disney+ and its advertising partners.
An Expanded Coming Soon Section
Another way to keep subscribers engaged is to showcase all the great content coming to the service. Disney+ has rightfully at times gotten hammered for its lack of original and library content. I believe an expanded coming soon section would smooth over concerns.
Having profiles for all the upcoming Disney+ series whether it’s Secret Invasion or Ahsoka to Percy Jackson and the Olympians would make sense and it would just create hype for the service. Even if the titles just said coming soon and didn’t reveal an actual premiere date.
They could even utilize this expanded coming soon section for legacy content. I know Muppet fans would be ecstatic to see Muppets Tonight just appear in the coming soon section or what about House of Mouse or Bear in the Big Blue House? An expanded coming soon section could work both for originals and legacy content.
Human Playlists like HBO Max
This is something creative by HBO Max, and I don’t think the feature gets enough hype. Instead of being at the mercy of the algorithm, you have actual human recommendations. Basically, it’s a Spotify playlist but for streaming content.
Imagine Disney+ playlists curated by Disney stars, Pixar animators, Walt Disney Imagineers, and other Disney cast members. You’d definitely click on a Jennifer Lee playlist? I know tons of people would click on a Joe Rohde playlist as well. I think this concept would get subscribers checking out different content as well, and that’s always a good thing both for the subscriber and for Disney+.
Shuffle Button like Netflix
It would just be another feature to add to Disney+ and it would help in the battle of mindless scrolling. Selfishly, as a content creator, a shuffle button on Disney+ could lead to some pretty great content opportunities.
I just also would like to see Disney+ create this and see what they would randomly recommend. Would it be the latest Disney+ series they are trying to push up the streaming charts or would it be The Apple Dumpling Gang? I hope it would be something as random as the latter.
A Disney+ version of Spotify Wrapped
The Disney+ 2021 Recap attempted to do this but with fewer details and it wasn’t as sleek as Spotify Wrapped, one of the best marketing tools being used today.
I think a Disney+ version of Wrapped would have to give more analytics and a true top five shows/content watched. Along with other fun facts about your Disney+ viewing. Plus Disney would have to make their Wrapped easier to share than their attempt with the Disney+ 2021 Recap.
I may expand upon this piece in the future. For now, these would be the five I would be focused on adding to Disney+. If you enjoyed reading this piece, I encourage you to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter all about Disney and its various businesses.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
