Disney Plus looking to integrate always on linear channels

As the saying goes, with great freedom comes great responsibility.

And it seems consumers of streaming entertainment want to shed some of the burden of having to search for something to watch amid an abyss of on-demand choices and are looking for the comfort of being “sucked into” shows already in progress via always-on linear channels. You know, the way things used to work with linear pay TV.

Citing unnamed sources, The Insider reports that Disney Plus plans to launch a series of such always-on channels, themed around Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other franchises, topics and genres.

The report didn’t include key details including launch date, and Disney execs didn’t comment, not officially, at least.

But the strategy makes sense to us. FAST platforms including Tubi, Pluto TV and Roku Channel have thrived by offering this cable-esque “live guide” strategy, delivering viewers an old-school “lean-back” viewing experience.

Meanwhile, sensing a demand among avid movie watchers to get sucked into titles like The Player for the 21st time, premium subscription movie platform operator Criterion has added Criterion 24/7 to its offering. Yahoo