Update: Disney+ icon was removed from the Theater screen for owners who haven’t accessed it. Disney+ is still available, just not in the normal Theater area where it once appeared.
Tesla appears to have axed Disney+ from its vehicles just a few weeks after CEO Elon Musk told Disney frontman Bob Iger off at a conference as the entertainment company pulled advertising from Musk’s social media platform X.
Tesla owners started to notice Disney+ was removed from the Theater this past weekend, as YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, and Tutorials remained.
đź‘€Tesla removes Disney+ app from vehicles pic.twitter.com/rlR0vGvAoY
— Tesla Software Updates (@TeslaSoftUpdate) December 18, 2023
Disney was one of several advertisers that stopped using X to target potential customers. It joined companies such as Apple, IBM, and Wal-Mart to stop advertising on the platform.
It seems that this might be a move by Tesla and Musk to stop doing their part to support Disney and its streaming service.
Tesla added Disney+ in 2021.
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Popular with children, Disney+ features what is perhaps the largest collection of content geared at younger ages, so it makes it difficult for parents who have had the advantage of using the service for their kids on car trips.
However, it could directly affect the number of subscriptions Disney+ has, even if it is likely an incremental number. Some parents may ultimately choose to cancel Disney+ because the car might have been the only place they used it. Others could cancel as their loyalty lies with Tesla and its CEO.
For parents who do want to continue using the service, there is a workaround, however. WholeMarsBlog, a notable Tesla community member, showed that Disney+ is still accessible through the Tesla Browser:
If you still need Disney+, don’t worry.
Just type the URL into your car’s browser, and you’re good to go. pic.twitter.com/AmBrkI4lYH
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) December 18, 2023
The move by Tesla to remove Disney+ from its vehicles is a heavy statement. Disney’s Bob Iger has been at the forefront of Musk’s rhetoric lately, stating he should be removed from his position.
“Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob has done to his company,” Musk said recently.
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