Disney Plus is adding channels as streaming inches ever closer back to cable

polygon.com:

Streaming is taking yet another step toward cable. Just weeks after combining its Hulu and Disney Plus services, Disney Plus is adding streaming channels, according to a report from The Information. This marks the latest push toward the old model of TV-watching from one of the world’s biggest streaming companies, and while that may sound like a step backwards, it’s probably a good thing in the long run.

Disney Plus’ new feature will reportedly include separate channels for different types of content. This seems likely to include things like a Marvel channel, a Star Wars channel, and maybe even something collecting the animated works from both Pixar and Disney. The channels would run 24/7, and would include content curated by Disney, which users could jump straight into whenever they log into the service.

This idea — basically cable channels for streaming services — isn’t a Disney Plus invention. Other services like Shudder, Peacock, and Pluto have been doing it for years, and the Criterion Channel just started its channel last week. In every case, the channels are met with universal acclaim. While streaming has certainly proven that people have an appetite for choosing their own content, anyone who has stared at Netflix’s homepage for an hour just to close it and do something else instead knows that endless options aren’t always best. In fact, most people love to stumble on something new they might not have chosen to watch themselves, or an old favorite they forgot they loved.

Meanwhile, the appeal of channels is obvious for the services themselves, too. It lets them shine lights on the less-viewed titles in their catalog, or direct viewers’ attention to a movie or TV series they might never have considered otherwise. On top of that, in the most old-world cable way possible, 24/7 channels are a haven for advertisements, something that more and more streaming services are introducing as they discover that the profitability of the subscription-only model is