Key Takeaways
- Disney+ is planning to introduce 24-hour streaming channels with specific content.
- Potential channels may include Marvel films and shows, the Star Wars franchise, and Disney/Pixar movies.
- However, I’d want to see other channels, such as 90s Disney cartoons, National Geographic, and ESPN 30 for 30s.
Like a slew of other streaming services have done, Disney+ has introduced live channels that will broadcast the platform’s content on a continuous shuffled loop. Here’s what that might look like (and what we hope to see).
24-Hour Channels on Disney+
If you thought Disney was done making changes to its streaming services after it recently bundled Disney+ and Hulu, you’d be wrong. As it turns out, the mass media company has more in store for its flagship streamer. According to an exclusive report from The Information, Disney+ is planning to introduce 24-hour nonstop streaming channels to its already busy interface.
Think of it like cable but with channels dedicated to highly specific types of content already found on Disney+. Presumably, we can expect to see channels focused on Marvel movies and shows, Star Wars content, Disney/Pixar, and so on. That said, my hope is that Disney gets a little more creative with its channels than just the obvious.
The 24-Hour Disney+ Channels I Want to Watch
While the intellectual property we touched on above will undoubtedly get its own 24-hour streaming channels on Disney+, its catalog is so much more than these obvious picks. Now, these seven channels would be just as fun to see on the streaming service’s live guide—and might actually get more people to subscribe in the process.
The Simpsons
With over 750 episodes and 35 years of The Simpsons to choose from, it’s probably the one entry in the Disney+ library that makes the most sense as a streaming channel. It’s practically made for a concept like this one. (It comes straight from broadcast television, after all.)
ShondaLand
On a similar note, Shonda Rhimes’s extensive catalog of ABC shows would make the perfect streaming channel on Disney+. From Grey’s Anatomy to Scandal to How to Get Away with Murder and all the other spinoffs and standalones in between, these so-called ShondaLand productions definitely deserve a spot in the guide.
’90s Disney Cartoons
Remember all those spinoff shows of classic Disney animated movies from the late 1990s and early 2000s? Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Hercules: The Animated Series, Jungle Cubs, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series… it’d be a real throwback to see all of these streaming on Disney+ on one channel. Even original productions such as Gargoyles would fit right into the rotation.
National Geographic
With so much National Geographic content on Disney+ (not to mention the fact that Nat Geo already has a cable network), it’s not hard to picture what a designated streaming channel might look like for this one. Nevertheless, it’s a great idea for all the nature documentary lovers who subscribe to the Disney streamer.
The Muppets
As the most criminally underrated, underused, and undervalued Disney property in history, here’s hoping The Muppets can at least get a 24-hour streaming channel on Disney+. There are so many Muppets shows, movies, and specials that deserve to be introduced to a whole new generation of fans.
ESPN 30 for 30s
Just like a potential National Geographic streaming channel, ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentaries get plenty of airtime on cable proper. That’s what makes them so fitting for this, though. They’re already meant to be shown on television one after the other, so they’d be right at home with a streaming channel of their own.
Classic Mickey Mouse Cartoons
Lastly, a real throwback: I’d love to see a Disney+ streaming channel dedicated entirely to classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. Yes, all those ones from the 1920s and ’30s. “Steamboat Willie,” “The Haunted House,” “Magician Mickey,” the list goes on. It’d be like a film history lesson and a genuinely entertaining offering rolled into one.
The Larger Trend of 24-Hour Channels on Disney+
As you might have guessed, scrolling through Max or Discovery+ or the Criterion Channel in recent months, Disney+ wouldn’t be the first streaming service to add 24-hour channels to its platform. It’s part of a much larger trend in the world of streaming.
While streaming services are beating cable, they might not be forever. You see, Disney+ and its competitors are trying to appeal to longtime cable subscribers who are canceling their streaming plans because they miss the ability to simply sit back, relax, and watch a curated cable network. If these streaming channels work as planned, then subscribers may stick around.
If Disney+ goes beyond the obvious picks for 24-hour streaming channels and puts a greater focus on the more unique parts of its catalog, these channels could be the key to retaining subscribers. With any luck, we might see some of these seven picks appearing on Disney+ sooner rather than later. I mean, who wouldn’t keep their subscription active just to watch classic Simpsons episodes on a loop?