Disney Weighs Free FAST Channels as Content Spend Grows and Costs Trim

Disney is exploring a free, ad-supported FAST channel product to broaden its reach to price-sensitive viewers, boost ad revenue, and potentially help grow Disney+ subscribers. CFO Hugh Johnston said content spending will be about $24 billion this year, with international growth viewed as a key opportunity. At the same time, Disney is tightening operations—pursuing speed, agility and meaningful cost reductions in labor and SG&A after recent layoffs—while maintaining shareholder returns through dividends and a large buyback funded by redirected OpenAI investment and an A&E deal.