Disney has announced that it will be closing down a number of its on-demand apps on mobile devices and connected TVs, including DisneyNOW, Freeform, FXNow, ABC and Nat Geo TV on September 23rd 2024.

This will impact on users who access these apps on many mobile devices and connected TVs such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung, Android TV and Chromecast.

The websites for these services will continue to operate, and people will still need to sign in with their TV provider’s login details to access them. This is likely because some cable providers still need to provide access to on-demand services. It’s unclear how long these websites will continue to operate, but it’s likely these websites’ days are also numbers.

As part of the announcement of these closures, Disney is pushing audiences to use Disney+ and Hulu to access the shows and films these apps have provided or to use the cable television providers’ own on-demand systems.

Each website has posted information regarding its closure, with similar terminology, just referencing the site’s own name.  Here’s the official announcement from DisneyNOW:

The DisneyNOW app is going away, but all your favorite shows, shorts, minisodes, games & live TV offerings are here to stay! As of September 23, 2024, the DisneyNOW app will no longer be available on mobile devices and Connected TV. Don’t worry! There are still plenty of ways to watch everything DisneyNOW on air, online and on demand. Here are some great ways you can continue watching your favorite shows, specials, movies & more: 

• DisneyNOW.com: Full episodes, specials, Live TV & more
• TV PROVIDER: Sign in or check with a TV provider for more ways to watch
• DISNEY+: Stream content from DisneyNOW & more

This follows a similar decision recently made by other studios, including Warner Brothers Discovery, which are also slowly closing down and consolidating their apps. 

Roger’s Take:   The closure of these additional on-demand apps always felt inevitable, with fewer people subscribing to cable and following Spectrum getting access to Disney+ as part of its cable package (and it’s likely other cable companies will want something similar).   Wrapping up these additional apps will also save Disney money in maintaining these platforms, hopefully allowing resources to be redirected to Disney+.  Having so many different apps offering shows on demand felt unnecessary once the push to Disney+ and Hulu became the focus of the company’s streaming efforts.

What do you think of Disney closing down its DisneyNow, ABC, FXNOW, Freeform and Nat Geo apps?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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