Part 11/13:

Disney's tactics involve introducing more ad-supported tiers, which fundamentally serve as tools for getting more viewers onto their platforms—often through deals with cable and internet providers like Charter. By bundling Disney+ and Hulu with cable deals, Disney can significantly boost subscriber counts, which they then leverage to demand higher advertising rates and negotiate favorable carriage terms.

Indeed, Disney's subscriber base figures testify to this approach: Disney+ gained 3.8 million new users, and Hulu added 8.6 million, mostly thanks to expanded cable deals. These inflated subscriber counts enable Disney to tout larger audiences to advertisers despite potential declines in paid subscriptions, consolidating their advertising revenue and market influence.