GroupWatch: Disney + Introduces New Feature
Disney says the “New Co-Viewing Experience for Watching Movies and Shows from the Disney+ Library with Friends and Family, Even When Apart.”
Breaking news out of Burbank, California. The Walt Disney Company has some more interesting news about its streaming platform, Disney Plus.
Introducing GroupWatch
The official release explained:
Today, Disney+ introduced GroupWatch, a new co-viewing feature for connecting with friends and families to watch movies and shows from the entire Disney+ library, even when apart. GroupWatch allows for up to seven people to watch together in a synced playback experience available across web, mobile, connected TV devices and Smart TVs, and share reactions in real-time.
“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,” said Jerrell B Jimerson, SVP Product Management for Disney+.
Subscribers can launch the experience through the GroupWatch icon found on the Details page of series and movies from the extensive library on Disney+.
CNET.com was quickly on the case, giving a little more insight for streaming novices:
GroupWatch is Disney Plus’ version of Netflix Party and Amazon Prime Video Watch Party, which gained popularity during coronavirus quarantines. Unlike those offerings, GroupWatch works natively across any device, with no extension or app necessary. However, it currently lacks a chat feature — instead, viewers can send emoji reactions to the group screen from the Disney Plus app. But you can still text or video chat with your friends as you watch along together. And a chat option may arrive in the future, said Jerrell B. Jimerson, senior vice president of product management for Disney Plus.
“In this time when it’s hard to hang out with friends irrespective of what your age is, it’s a great way to connect and reconnect with friends and family,” Jimerson told CNET.
Disney added, “After initially launching in a test version in Canada on September 10th and in Australia and New Zealand on September 18th, the feature is now live in the United States. The feature is expected to expand to Europe later this fall.”
How to Use GroupWatch
Check out the photos of the new Disney Plus feature below:
Another Coup For Disney+
Of course, Disney+ has taken (much of) the world by storm.
As the “dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content.”