Disney+ heads to Vizio SmartCast today

For Vizio TV owners, it just got a lot easier to watch Disney+. Today, Vizio announced that it has added Disney+ to its SmartCast platform, which means that those who have a SmartCast TV can watch Disney+ directly through the app. Previously, users were able to stream Disney+ to Vizio TVs through either Apple AirPlay 2 or Chromecast, which come built-in on some sets.

Integrating the Disney+ app directly with SmartCast, however, removes a couple of steps. Disney+ is launching in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico today; Vizio says that users in those regions will be able to find it through apps row on the SmartCast Home menu or through the SmartCast mobile app. It sounds like you'll even be able to subscribe through SmartCast, which further makes things easier.

Vizio said that the Disney+ app will be rolled out as an OTA update to all 2016 or newer SmartCast TVs, so it looks like the app is compatible with a lot of different models. Disney+ itself is adding SmartCast to list of supported devices that's already fairly long, as it includes Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. SmartCast isn't even the first smart TV platform to get Disney+, as there are some Samsung and LG smart TVs that support the app as well.

Disney+ is, of course, Disney's streaming service, meant to go toe-to-toe with others like Netflix and Hulu. Disney has a lot of content to tempt yet another monthly subscription out of cord-cutters – not only does the company have its decades of animated films, but Disney+ is also now home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars content too.

It appears that Disney+ is off to a strong start, with more than 10 million people signing up on day one. Whether or not it can keep up that momentum as we move through 2020 is another question entirely, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for more.