Disney+ Introduces Playlists for a New Lean-Back Viewing Experience

Not sure what to watch next? Disney+ is hoping to make that question a little easier to answer with its latest feature. The streaming service is introducing Playlists, a new way for subscribers to sit back and let Disney+ handle the next title.

What’s Happening:

• Playlists bring together curated collections of movies and episodes based on genres, franchises, characters, and moods, creating a continuous viewing experience designed to make discovering something to watch less of a chore. Rather than selecting a movie or episode individually and returning to the home screen when it ends, subscribers can choose a playlist and let the content continue playing automatically.
• The new feature is designed around a familiar problem for streaming subscribers: spending more time scrolling through options than actually watching something. With Playlists, Disney+ is taking a more curated approach, grouping related content so viewers can choose a theme and start watching.
• The available collections can cover a wide range of interests. Viewers can choose playlists centered around categories such as Action and Adventure Movies, Romantic Comedies, and Pixar Movies, or spend time with familiar favorites including Mickey and Friends, Bluey, and Modern Family.

• Once a playlist begins, playback is automatically shuffled, giving viewers a rotating selection of content from the collection. Disney+ is still giving subscribers control over their viewing experience, however, with full playback controls that allow viewers to pause, skip, rewind, or fast-forward whenever they want.
• That combination of curated programming and viewer control is intended to make Playlists useful for a variety of viewing situations. Whether it's a movie night with friends, background entertainment while relaxing, or a familiar comfort watch before bed, subscribers can select a collection based on what they're in the mood for without having to repeatedly decide what to play next.
• The playlists will also change throughout the year. Disney+ plans to offer seasonal playlists, including collections tied to holidays and special occasions. That means viewers can expect themed selections for events such as Halloween, with additional seasonal programming rolling out throughout the year.
• Playlists also expand the ways Disney+ can surface content that subscribers may not otherwise seek out individually. By grouping movies and episodes around a particular theme, franchise, or character, the feature can encourage viewers to revisit favorites while potentially discovering something new within the same collection.
• While Disney has not explicitly stated that Streams are being discontinued or replaced by Playlists, the timing and functionality of the new feature would seemingly indicate a shift toward the Playlist format. Streams were Always-On Feeds featuring curated channels such as ABC News, The Simpsons, and Disney+ Playtime, allowing viewers to tune in and watch a continuous selection of programming without choosing individual titles. 
• Playlists similarly provide continuous, curated programming while adding the ability to pause, skip, rewind, and fast-forward. 
• The launch however does not replace Disney+'s other live offerings, subscribers will continue to have access to the previously launched 24/7 ABC News livestream, along with streams from eight ABC Owned Television Stations. Those local streams feature market-specific newscasts, weather updates, special community events, and breaking news.
• Disney+ Playlists begin rolling out globally today for all subscribers and can be discovered from the Disney+ homepage as well as throughout the service.
• With Playlists, Disney+ is putting a new spin on the traditional streaming experience by combining the convenience of curated programming with the flexibility of on-demand viewing. For subscribers who would rather press play than spend another 20 minutes scrolling, the new feature offers a simpler way to keep watching.

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