Credit: Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney Company has decided that COVID-19 is over, and there will be no more quarantines.
That must be the logic behind removing a fan-favorite feature from the Disney+ streaming service, which was first presented as a benefit for subscribers unable to physically be together during the global quarantines between 2020 and 2022.
Major studios like Disney were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which demolished theater ticket sales for movies that were expected to be major blockbusters, shut down production on countless television shows and films, and basically sent the industry into a freefall.
Related: Disney Ends Disney+ Streaming Service, New Change Places Netflix in Charge
Companies like Disney, Warner Bros, Amazon, Apple, and Netflix all swiftly pivoted during COVID-19 to making streaming content an even larger part of their revenue stream.
Subscribers could watch movies and television from the comparative safety of home, while studios could try to figure out how to successfully release movies like Wonder Woman 1984 (202) and Black Widow (2021) on streaming and in theaters at the same time. Spoilers: they did not find a way.
Disney was hit even harder by COVID-19 than many other media companies, in large part because of the House of Mouse’s reliance on its massive network of theme parks like Walt Disney World and the various Disneyland Resorts around the world.
However, the company did have the advantage of launching Disney+ immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic hit full force and had an immense catalog of family-friendly classics for home subscribers. Combined with Marvel Studios entering the streaming television game with Wandavision, Disney was in a relatively advantageous position.
A major factor in that was the Disney+ GroupWatch feature, which allowed multiple subscribers to watch the same TV show or movie at the same time. Since many people could not physically be together and craved group events, it was an instant hit when it launched in September 2020.
At the time, Disney+ Senior Vice President for Product Management Jerrell B Jimerson said in a release, “Storytelling comes alive when you’re able to share and enjoy it with others, and in this moment when many are still apart from their friends and family, GroupWatch offers a way to safely connect virtually by co-viewing your favorite Disney+ stories with your favorite people from the comfort of your living room.”
However, the diminished profile of COVID-19 seems to have made the brass at Disney think that GroupWatch is no longer worth maintaining.
Now, a notice posted by Disney states, “As of September 18th, 2023, the GroupWatch feature will no longer be available on Disney+. We’re always working to deliver the best product experience on Disney+, and as part of recent updates, the GroupWatch feature was removed.”
Dude why did they get rid of Groupwatch on Disney+ es bullshit
— Captain Adrian (@baconlord009) September 20, 2023
Related: Disney Removes Major Discount Permanently, Guests Furious as Costs Increase
As one might expect, this has made many Disney+ subscribers very mad, regardless of the current state of COVID-19 variant waves.
@DisneyPlus So why completely get rid of groupwatch? It's the only way for me and others to watch movies together since we're not even close to each other. Good job removing a very useful feature for long distance.
— Sean hutchinson (@zlpor2002) September 19, 2023
Removing groupwatch literally does nothing but take away a valuable feature to be able to watch things with friends or family even when you’re not in person. I fail to see how this is even remotely a good thing.
— AppleJuice1330 (@ajfreebird24) September 20, 2023
Arguably, it is not the best time for Disney to start removing features from its streaming service, given that the company recently raised subscription prices (along with basically every other service). If you’re going to start taking things away, you probably don’t want to make people pay more for less.
Did you use the GroupWatch feature of Disney+ during COVID-19? Is this just more price-gouging from Disney? Let us know in the comments below!