The Walt Disney Company is facing legal action from Euroconsumers, a consumer rights group representing subscribers in Italy, Belgium, and Portugal, over the removal of key streaming features like Dolby Vision, 4K UHD resolution, and HDR10 from Disney+. These changes stemmed from patent infringement lawsuits initiated by InterDigital beginning in late 2025, which compelled Disney+ to degrade video quality across 11 European countries. Notably, a German court ruling on June 16, 2026, forced Disney+ to drop Dolby Vision on 21 countries using German servers, and a subsequent ruling in July impacted support for HEVC compression, leading to the temporary removal of 4K and HDR10 in 11 countries.

Euroconsumers’ formal notice, sent to Disney on October 6, 2026, accuses the company of failing to communicate transparently or offer compensation to premium tier subscribers affected by these service downgrades. The group points out that although Disney began partially restoring 4K streaming in August 2026 using a VP9 encoding workaround, many devices still lack full 4K support and HDR remains absent. Moreover, this workaround is contested by InterDigital as potentially infringing the original patents, which prolongs uncertainty over subscribers’ access to advertised video enhancements.

The demands from Euroconsumers are clear: Disney must immediately implement an automated system to reduce subscription fees for the impacted premium users in these three countries, reflecting the lowered service quality. They also seek retroactive credits of at least €5.00 per month dating back to the start of the degradation period, December 2025 or mid-2026. Additionally, subscribers must receive timely and transparent information about the service impairments, including explanations about the affected features, subscriber categories impacted, and available remedies.

Should Disney fail to meet these requests within 14 days of receiving the notice, Euroconsumers will escalate the matter by seeking administrative fines through the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network, potentially up to 4% of Disney’s annual revenue in the involved markets. Estimates based on subscriber numbers indicate that the compensation owed to users in Italy, Belgium, and Portugal could total around €12 million per month, reaching nearly €63 million monthly if extended across all affected European countries. This case signals significant legal and financial risks for Disney as it navigates patent challenges and customer dissatisfaction over streaming quality.