So, over the weekend, you may’ve seen something like this:
On Bluesky alone, nearly 2,000 people have quoted this, cursing the skies at Disney+ and the streaming movement for once again fucking over us, the loyal customer.
So…
…guess what?
It’s not that at all.
IGN has since updated their headline, now reading “Disney+ Clarifies European Subscriber Agreement to Confirm Ads Can Be Shown on All Plans Before and After Playback”.
So let’s break that down.
- This is effecting Europe
- This is an indication that they can. Not that they are. Not that it starts today. None of that. But that they can.
Already, very different from DISNEY+ IS GIVING EVERYONE ADS AND SAYING FUCK YOU, SPECIFICALLY, YES, YOU.
But wait, there’s more!
Kourtnee Jackson over at Cnet did the legwork, and has put together a story called: “Is Disney Plus Allowing Ads on All Plans? Here’s What’s Really Happening“.
Guess what’s really actually happening?
What you may see on all plans are ads, promos or sponsored content in live feeds on the platform and promotional trailers or clips may appear before or after playback in content for titles such as Disney-owned films and TV series. However, this was already part of the subscriber agreement, and it’s a practice that’s become standard on other ad-free streaming plans from Starz, Prime Video and HBO Max.
So this is them updating their European terms of service to indicate that when they broadcast the same feeds as you’d see on television, you might get ads then, AND you might get the brief pre-roll previews of other Disney+ content.
Do I love this? No.
Is it a change from what most have become used to in any way, shape or form?
Also, no.
But it doesn’t matter. The damage is done. The story is out there. The perception is had. Who needs to read the full story? (Which I’d be willing to bet originally had hedged its bet with “We’ve reached out to Disney+ for further clarification.”) You’re mad now. You’re going to post angry things about it on the internet. You’re going to continue to spout off this inaccurate story as truth, and likely speak down to others about it. You’re going to link this Bluesky post (or similar) when someone goes “are you sure”. You’re going to think that you’re right and you’ve won the arguement.
Instead, you’re mad at something that isn’t real, and confident in it. You’ve put your faith in a ghost.
What bothers me too? By trying to set the record straight, as I’m doing here, and others may in future Internet Arguments®, the response is going to be “WHY ARE YOU SIMPING FOR A CORPORATION?”
It’s not that, gang. If I’m simping for anything, it’s media literacy.
Read the full story. Ask yourself what’s not there. Radically, maybe even assume positive intent.
Are the streamers out to “mess with us”? Yes, but…there are other reasons for that.
Sadly, there’s no mechanism that will grab the same eyeballs as the original story that reads, “Hey, our bad, it’s actually this.” People love to be outraged and feel personally attacked, it’s a sad side effect of the world we’re in these days.
But you, dear reader, can be the change.