Disney to Allow Ads on All Subscription Plans

Even Premium subscribers won't be fully spared.

Disney has updated its Disney+ and Hulu Subscriber Agreement to add language allowing advertisements across all subscription tiers — including plans marketed as "ad-free" or "no ads."

Disney+ changed its terms of use as of June 18, 2026, and has been informing customers about the change via email in recent days.

According to the announcement, even "No ads" or "ad-free" tiers may still include limited promotional content, such as brief clips promoting bundle upgrades, plus branded content, product integrations, and sponsorship messaging.

This doesn't mean that mid-roll commercials are landing in Premium subscriptions overnight; the ads will show before and after playback, not during a movie or series episode. The change reportedly gives Disney the contractual basis to introduce ads more broadly at a later date, without having to negotiate new terms first.

This isn't the company's first pass at loosening its ad-free promise, either. On January 27, 2025, a subscriber agreement update took effect and clarified that specific titles and types of content would include ads for everyone.

Disney isn't the only one who has done this. HBO Max reserves the right, per its help articles, to show content with sponsorships and product placements, as well as program trailers, on its Standard and Premium tiers. Apple TV also shows trailers for its own productions before movies and series begin.