{{short description|American video-on-demand portal for Disney networks}} {{Infobox website | name = DisneyNOW | logo = DisneyNow logo.svg | logo_caption =
| logo_alt = DisneyNow | screenshot = | caption = | foundation = September 29, 2017 | dissolved = {{start date and age|2024|9|23}} (mobile app only) | successor = Disney+ (app) | location_city = | location_country = United States | area_served = United States | key_people = | revenue = | parent = Disney Branded Television<br/>(Disney General Entertainment Content) | advertising = The Walt Disney Company | registration = Optional Disney.com account, with separate TV Everywhere credentials required for most content | language = English | num_users = | current_status = Online, only accessible through computers | url = https://disneynow.com/ | commercial = Yes }} '''DisneyNow''' (stylized as '''DisneyNOW''') is a TV Everywhere platform offered by Disney Branded Television. The service offers programming from Disney Channel, Disney Jr, and Disney XD for subscribers to the three networks on television providers.
It launched on September 29, 2017, replacing the individual "Watch" apps that originally launched for these networks in 2012, as well as the networks' respective official websites. The mobile and digital media player apps for the platform were discontinued on September 23, 2024; service remains available on traditional computers and web browsers.
==History== Disney first launched TV Everywhere services for Disney Channel, Disney Jr., and Disney XD in June 2012—the "Watch" apps (whose branding were modeled after WatchESPN)—as part of new carriage agreements with Comcast Xfinity that included digital rights to the programming of Disney's cable channels via authenticated streaming.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/13/3083336/disney-launches-streaming-apps-iphone-ipad-comcast|title=Disney launches streaming apps for the iPhone and iPad, Comcast gets them first|work=The Verge|access-date=2017-09-30|archive-date=2017-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930084820/https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/13/3083336/disney-launches-streaming-apps-iphone-ipad-comcast|url-status=live}}</ref>
In February of 2017, during upfronts presentations for its children's channels, Disney announced that the individual "Watch" apps for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD would be replaced with DisneyNow; the service integrated the three channels' content, along with Radio Disney, into a unified library. It also included games based on programs from the three channels, a profile system, and parental controls. The new app launched on September 29, 2017 for Android, iOS, Apple TV, and Roku, with Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV versions following in the next year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disneynow-launches-disney-channel-xd-disney-junior-1202575447/|title=Disney Unifies Kids' Cable Channels in 'DisneyNow' App|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2017-09-28|work=Variety|access-date=2017-09-30|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930084317/http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disneynow-launches-disney-channel-xd-disney-junior-1202575447/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/disney-tv-upfront-2017-advertising-kids-1201998365/|title=As 'Kids' Upfront' Kicks Off, Disney Woos Madison Avenue|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=28 February 2017|work=Variety|access-date=28 September 2017|archive-date=12 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112191019/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/disney-tv-upfront-2017-advertising-kids-1201998365/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="tc-disneynow">{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/29/disney-releases-disneynow-a-new-app-that-combines-live-tv-on-demand-games-and-music/?ncid=rss&sr_share=twitter|title=Disney releases DisneyNow, a new app that combines live TV, on-demand, games and music|last=Perez|first=Sarah|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2017-09-30|language=en|archive-date=2018-02-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100511/https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/29/disney-releases-disneynow-a-new-app-that-combines-live-tv-on-demand-games-and-music/?ncid=rss&sr_share=twitter|url-status=live}}</ref>
On December 1, 2018, Chinese animated series ''Stitch & Ai'', a spin-off of the ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise that originally aired in 2017, made its American debut on DisneyNow, with twelve of the series' thirteen episodes released on the service.<ref name="LaughingPlace-SAA-release">{{cite web|title="Stitch & Ai" Has Surprise Release on DisneyNOW|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2018/12/01/stitch-ai-has-surprise-release-on-disneynow/|website=LaughingPlace.com|access-date=2018-12-02|date=2018-12-01|df=mdy-all|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404044014/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2018/12/01/stitch-ai-has-surprise-release-on-disneynow/|url-status=live}}</ref>
With the launch of the new subscription-based streaming service Disney+ on November 12, 2019, Disney began to transition library content from DisneyNow to Disney+ in order to encourage service subscriptions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Grothaus|first=Michael|date=2019-11-07|title=Disney's cable viewers say on-demand content is disappearing a week before Disney+ launch|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90427790/disneys-cable-viewers-say-on-demand-content-is-disappearing-a-week-before-disney-launch|access-date=2020-09-23|website=Fast Company|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002030229/https://www.fastcompany.com/90427790/disneys-cable-viewers-say-on-demand-content-is-disappearing-a-week-before-disney-launch|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ccn-removed">{{cite web|title=Disney is Removing On-Demand Content From Cable Customers Ahead of The Disney+ Launch|url=https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/disney-is-removing-on-demand-content-from-cable-customers-ahead-of-disney-launch/|website=Cord Cutters News|access-date=2019-11-07|date=2019-11-29|df=mdy-all|archive-date=2019-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108131951/https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/disney-is-removing-on-demand-content-from-cable-customers-ahead-of-disney-launch/|url-status=live}}</ref>
On August 23, 2024, Disney began notifying its carriage partners that it would discontinue the mobile and digital media player apps for DisneyNow, along with ABC, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic, effective September 23. However, TV Everywhere content would still be available via their respective websites in order to funnel viewers towards Disney+ and Hulu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bouma |first=Luke |date=August 24, 2024 |title=Disney is Shutting Down Disney, Freeform, FXNow, & National Geographic Channel Apps |url=https://cordcuttersnews.com/disney-is-shutting-down-disney-freeform-fxnow-national-geographic-channel-apps/ |access-date=August 24, 2024 |website=Cord Cutters News |archive-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824172339/https://cordcuttersnews.com/disney-is-shutting-down-disney-freeform-fxnow-national-geographic-channel-apps/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Games were subsequently removed from DisneyNOW's website on November 14.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Betti |first=Tony |date=October 18, 2024 |title=Games Based On Disney Channel and Disney Jr. Shows To Be Removed From DisneyNOW Website Next Month |url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney-entertainment/disneynow-games-closing/ |access-date=October 29, 2024 |website=LaughingPlace.com}}</ref>
==See also== * Disney+ *Movies Anywhere *Apple TV+ *ESPN+
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{URL|https://disneynow.com/|DisneyNow}}
{{Walt Disney Television}} {{Disney Channel}} {{Disney Channel original series}} {{Disney Junior}} {{Disney XD original series}} {{VOD services}}
Now Category:Subscription video on demand services Category:Internet television streaming services Category:Internet properties established in 2017 Category:Former subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company