Disney+ launched a pilot program in which U.S. subscribers have special access to Disney merchandise.
Starting Tuesday, Disney+ subscribers can buy merchandise from Star Wars, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness before the general public and will get exclusive access to merchandise from Frozen 2 and Lightyear. The merch is available for purchase by shopping online at shopDisney or by scanning QR codes within the details pages of movies, series and shorts on Disney+.
This is the first big push into e-commerce for the streaming service, following a September report from The Wall Street Journal saying that Disney was exploring an Amazon Prime style model for its subscription services, in which members would receive discounts on merchandise, theme parks and more.
It also creates another potential revenue stream for Disney+, which is gearing up to launch its new ad-tier in December, at which time it will increase the subscription price for its paid subscription tier.
“Special access to this curated collection of merchandise for the upcoming holiday season is the latest example of the many ways we experiment with how to improve the user experience on Disney+, which includes enhancing the benefits of being a subscriber,” Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+, said in the press release. “We’re excited to collaborate with shopDisney to explore how we can potentially better serve our audiences by expanding the ways they get to interact with the stories and characters they love on Disney+.”
Subscribers will get exclusive access to new t-shirt and sweatshirt designs from Frozen 2 and Pixar’s Lightyear as well as special access to additional merchandise.