• by Wayne Friedman , January 4, 2024

As part of its groundbreaking deal with Walt Disney, Charter Communications is making an ad-supported option -- Disney+ Basic -- available to all Spectrum TV Select packages nationwide at no additional cost.

This means Charter customers can stream all entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic -- including movies, TV shows and original programs through the Xumo Stream Box or any other Disney+ supported device.

The separate purchase price for Disney+ Basic is now $7.99/month. 

Currently, the Spectrum TV Select Signature is the least expensive Select package, at $59.99 per month. Additional basic cable and premium cable channels can add $7.00 and $15.00 per month to that bundle price.

Also coming in the next several months to Charter consumers is complimentary access to ESPN+ in its Spectrum TV Select Plus video package. 

The major distribution deal between the two companies, which was inked in September, also includes future distribution of the entire ESPN cable network programming as a streaming app.

Charter executives call ESPN the “linchpin” to this new transformation model with the Disney company, and potentially other groundbreaking distribution deals with traditional TV network-based companies' streaming services.