Disney+ experiments with first livestream

Disney+ has dipped its toe into livestreaming for the first time.

On February 8, the company ran a livestream of the  94th Oscar nominations on Disney+ in the US, with the event also livestreamed to Hulu, ABC News Live and the Academy Awards own platforms.

To date, Disney has shown no aspiration to make Disney+ into a livestreaming platform, with live content typically better suited to sports streamer ESPN+ or Hulu + Live TV. This however marks a change in tact, with TechCrunch reporting that the company is exploring what it can do with live content on the platform with plans to continue testing in the future.

A statement from a spokesperson provided to press said: “We performed a test for livestreaming capabilities on Disney+ in the U.S. with this morning’s Academy Award nominations. We are pleased with the results and will continue to test as part of our ongoing and iterative approach to deliver the best user experiences to consumers.”

At last count, Disney+ was at 118.1 million by the end of its Q4 2021. Disney will announce its streaming figures when it reveals its Q1 2022 results on February 9, with the company hoping to bounce back from a disappointing Q4.