Disney+'s New Logo Slammed Online

Disney+ has altered its logo, but not everyone supports the change—with some online calling it "bland" and "lifeless."

Since the Walt Disney Company's streaming service launched on November 12, 2019, its app icon has been dark blue. However, Disney+ has recently swapped the blue backdrop for a teal-green one. The sweeping gradient leading to the plus sign has also been replaced with a white logo.

When the X account @DiscussingFilm posted about the change on March 26, the news was met with derision.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Disney+ for comment.

"Disney+ has changed their logo color. Do you like the change?" the post said above photos of the new and old logos sitting side by side. At the time of writing, the post had been viewed 4.1 million times.

Social media users responded with their thoughts on the new design, with many finding it lackluster.

"Lifeless color. Got rid of the pretty fade in the curve. Graphic design is dead LOL," a commenter wrote.

"It just looks like a watered down, duller, less vibrant version, which actually might be the perfect for how many now view Disney+," another added.

One user said: "Can we talk about how bland all these company logos have been lately?? what happened to creativity??? to being different???? not boring."

"The absence of color makes sense when you consider Disney is losing a lot of the magic it used to have," a commenter wrote.

Another added: "It's bland—meh. The original reminded me of a morning sky beginning or an evening sky bleeding into night."

However, not everyone was unhappy with the change.

"I would hope all these people whining about this change are not adults ... BECAUSE if so ... grow the f* up," one user wrote.

"Hmmmmmmm I f**** with it! Could be worse," another added.

The change has rolled out across the Disney+ website and its app in the Apple App Store, but it has not shown up in the Google Play Store. Disney's media kit also still shows the old logo.

While Disney has not explained the color change, there is speculation that it is related to Disney+'s ongoing merger with Hulu, which has a green logo. It is likely a precursor to the upcoming one-app experience expected to debut sometime in March. Currently, the company has no plans to remove either of its two streaming services.

At the end of 2023, Disney bought out Comcast's one-third stake in Hulu for $8.6 billion. A beta version of Hulu on Disney+ rolled out in early December, though both streaming services remain available to buy individually or as a package.

The entertainment giant has experienced difficulties in the past year—with several of its titles deemed box-office flops, declining linear TV viewership and an uneven transition into a streaming future.

In November, Disney announced it would be slashing costs after its films lost almost $1 billion. In an earnings call, CEO Bob Iger said the company would cut an additional $2 billion in expenses in 2024. A representative for Pixar, which Disney owns, confirmed to Newsweek in January that the animation studio would undergo layoffs in 2024.

The company has also been hemorrhaging money through its Disney+ streaming service, but it managed to curb losses by raising subscription costs.