This will be the largest price increase since the platform debuted in 2019
In what seems like an epidemic among streaming providers, Disney+ has just announced it will be hiking prices. Starting Dec. 9, customers will have to pay an extra $3 to receive an ad-free experience, to the tune of $10.99 per month.
Customers who don’t mind ads can fork over a $7.99 fee, but expect commercials and other interruptions. If you hadn’t noticed, that $8 price tag is what current customers are already paying for no ads, something loyalists are not too happy about.
“With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution.
On December 8, Disney+ will introduce its much-anticipated ad-supported subscription offering in the U.S., delivering more choice to consumers than ever before: https://t.co/tnKVitqjih pic.twitter.com/fafTkJHqyY
— Walt Disney Company (@WaltDisneyCo) August 10, 2022
The Disney Bundle, which currently includes Disney+, ad-free Hulu and ESPN+, will remain at $19.99 and two more bundles will now be offered. Consumers can opt for Disney+ and Hulu with ads for $9.99 or Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ with ads for $12.99 a month. All we see is a lot of ads, ads, ads!
With over 152 million subscribers, per CNN, it seems the platform is more than successful. But despite having a large customer base that are all paying $7.99 a month, it still takes cashflow to whip up the fresh content we have come accustomed to––and someone has to fund it all.
Disney+ isn’t the only streamer to raise fees in recent years. Netflix is already testing an “extra home fee” that would charge customers more for using the service in more than one household, and Hulu is going up, too. Owned in part by Disney, the ad-supported experience is going up $1 to $7.99 and the ad-free option is increasing by $2 to $14.99 per month.
While it makes us feel better that our beloved Disney content isn’t the only one to cost us more, it’s still frustrating for everyone who cut the cable cords in an effort to save money. Like gasoline and groceries, we’re all getting a little weary of paying more for the same product.