Disney+ Users Won't Be Able to Keep Downloaded Movies or Shows After It Exits Platform

Despite a promise from Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney+ subscribers will not be able to keep downloaded content once it disappears from the streaming platform. Speaking to Gizmodo, a Disney spokesperson clarified Iger's misconstrued comment that content would "stay on that device as long as you continue to subscribe" to the upcoming streaming platform, which is set to launch next month.

According to the spokesperson, certain titles on the streaming service will be pulled from the library due to licensing agreements, meaning that it will be unavailable to subscribers even if they had previously downloaded the file.

Although the spokesperson wouldn't divulge which titles would face the chopping block, they said that "Disney content — except that with pre-existing licensing agreements — will remain on the service and will not leave. If you download it, it's yours to watch for as long as you have a subscription."

For some titles, they will simply be switching platforms. According to a report from Bloomberg, due to earlier contracts between Disney and fellow streaming competitor Netflix, some titles — "every movie released between January 2016 and December 2018" – will reportedly return to Netflix beginning around 2026.

Rumors that would-be subscribers would be able to stockpile downloaded content to keep safe from a possible purge was sparked from Iger's statements at Vanity Fair's New Establishment Summit last week.

"But by and large, almost all of it is there. And if you're a subscriber, you can download it and put it on a device, and it will stay on the device as long as you continue to subscribe," Iger said, CNET reported. "If you wanted to download 10 classic Disney films that may not have all been available at once before, you can do that, basically fill all of your hard drive on one of your devices, and you or your child can watch wherever they are."

The comment was misinterpreted by many to mean that users would subscribers would have the ability to download content, where it would remain even if the title downloaded left the streaming service.

Even with the future potential loss of titles, both from the platform and downloads, Disney+ is already shaping up to be a major player in the streaming game. Upon its Nov. 12 launch, subscribers will be able to tune in to a catalog boasting more than 600 titles spanning both films and TV series, with more set to be added.

A Disney+ subscription costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 a year. Subscribers have the option to bundle their Disney+ subscription with Hulu (ad supported) and ESPN+ subscriptions for $12.99 per month, a $5 per month savings.