Streaming subscribers need to prepare for more price increases. Netflix just eliminated its cheapest ad-free plan. Now Disney is increasing monthly prices for Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, as well as bundled deals for those services.
New Disney+, Hulu and Max package
Starting this week, Disney+, Hulu and Max are offering a US streaming package for $16.99 per month with ads or $29.99 per month without ads.
Cheddar
If you want to stream Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and upcoming Marvel series like Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, you’ll have to shell out a little more money.
Monthly subscription prices for Disney+ will increase on October 17, Disney announced on Tuesday. Also increasing in price: ESPN+, Hulu and some streaming packages.
The basic Disney+ plan costs $7.99 a month including advertising and includes films such as “Elemental,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Marvels” and “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” as well as TV series such as “Star Wars: The Acolyte.” On October 17, the price will increase by two dollars to $9.99 for all existing and new subscribers.
Disney+ without ads currently costs $13.99 or $139.99 per year. The price will increase to $15.99 monthly or $159.99 per year.
Additional services, detailed
The price increase came immediately after Netflix announced it would phase out its cheapest ad-free monthly subscription.
Disney is hoping that some customers will want to save money by bundling multiple services. This summer, a bundle put together by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery (HBO, Food Network and more) will launch that includes Disney+, Hulu and Max (all with ads) for $16.99. A bundle of the three services without ads will cost $29.99.
And a standalone sports streaming service called Venu Sports, developed by ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, is expected to launch to coincide with the NFL season. It costs $42.99 a month and includes ESPN+. Look for upcoming bundles with other services like Disney+, Hulu or Max.
How much more will Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu cost per month?
Earlier this year, Disney made Hulu available within the Disney+ app for those who subscribe to both services. Depending on your plan, you may have to pay a little more:
- Disney+ and Hulu bundle: For those who have the Disney+ and Hulu Premium package (without ads, $19.99), the price will remain the same. However, if you have a package with ads, the price will increase by $1 monthly to $10.99.
- ESPN+: The price of the sports streaming service is currently $10.99 and will increase to $11.99 per month.
- Hulu separately: The monthly price for Disney’s own streaming service Hulu – whose original series also include “Only Murders in the Building” – is increasing by two dollars to $9.99 per month (with advertising) or by one dollar to $18.99 (without advertising).
- Hulu + Live TV: A package that includes Hulu’s live streaming pay-TV subscription with over 75 channels, which currently costs $76.99 per month (with ads), will increase to $82.99. An ad-free subscription to Hulu will increase from $89.99 to $95.99.
New Disney+ features: Playlists and ABC News
Disney is adding several features to the streaming service, including ABC News Live as a source of election news starting Sept. 4. Also available to all subscribers starting Sept. 4 is a playlist of content for preschoolers, featuring Disney+ TV series and short films including “Sofia the First,” “The Lion Guard,” “Puppy Dog Pals” and Minnie’s Bow-Toons, the company said.
Later this fall, the service will add four more playlists that will initially be available to premium subscribers (who pay for no ads): “Seasonal Content” from the Disney+ library, “Epic Stories” featuring stories from Disney, Marvel and Star Wars, “Throwbacks” featuring nostalgic pop culture content, and “Real Life,” including documentaries and biopics.
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