Get ready to pay even more for Disney+. During today’s third quarter earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said costs will rise on October 12.
The price of Disney+ ad-free will increase by $3/month to $13.99. Ad-free Hulu also gets a $3 bump, down to $17.99. The cost of an ad-free Disney+ and Hulu package will be $19.99. This new bundle will be available on September 6, the same day Disney+ will receive the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.” Iger said ad-supported Hulu and Disney+ pricing will remain unchanged.
The price of Hulu Live TV also increases to $76.99 with ads and $89.99 without ads. Learn more about the Hulu Live price hike here.
New Disney streaming prices
| Subscription | Floor | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | With advertisements (no change) | $7.99 | N / A |
| No ads* | $13.99 | $139.99 | |
| Hulu | With advertisements (no change) | $7.99 | $79.99 |
| No ads* | $17.99 | N / A | |
| Disney+ add-on (with ads) (no changes) | $2.00 | N / A | |
| ESPN+ on Hulu add-on* | $10.99 | N / A | |
| ESPN+ | With advertisements* | $10.99 | $109.99 |
| UFC PPV (standalone) (no change) | $79.99 (per event) | ||
| UFC PPV + Annual* | N / A | $134.98 | |
| Bundles | Premium Duo: Disney+ (ad-free), Hulu (ad-free)^ – NEW | $19.99 | N / A |
| Duo Basic: Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads) (unchanged) | $9.99 | N / A | |
| Premium Trio: Disney+ (ad-free), Hulu (ad-free), ESPN+ (ad-free) | $24.99 | N / A | |
| Trio Basic: Disney+ (with ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN+ (with ads)* | $14.99 | N / A | |
| Hulu + Live TV | With advertisements* | $76.99 | N / A |
| No ads* | $89.99 | N / A |
- Effective October 12, 2023
^ Available from September 6, 2023
Disney+ has also announced that an ad-supported offer will be available in select markets across Europe and Canada from November 1.
Disney+ lost 11.7 million subscribers in the last quarter, although most of them were Indian subscribers unhappy with the loss of IPL cricket. These price increases could lead to even more losses.
The company announced that a crackdown on account sharing is also underway. “We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family,” Iger said. “Later this year, we will begin updating our subscription agreement with additional terms on our sharing policies. And we will deploy tactics to drive monetization in 2024.”
During the call, Iger laid out the reasoning behind the price increase. “When considering our path to profitability in streaming, it’s important to remember where we started and how we adapted based on what we learned,” Iger said. “We exceeded expectations with massive subscriber growth with Disney+ and looked at a level of spend to fuel subscriber growth, which had been the key measure of success for many. this happened while we were still determining the right strategies for pricing, marketing, content and specific investments in international markets.However, since my return, we have reset the whole business around the economy designed to deliver significant and sustained profitability.We prioritize the strength of our brands and franchises, streamlining the volume of content we create, what we spend and the markets in which we let’s invest.
Iger said the company is moving closer to a more unified streaming app, though it remains to be seen if that just means a merger of Disney+ and Hulu, or if ESPN+ is also part of that experiment. “We see a future where consumers will be able to access even more of the company’s streaming content in one place, resulting in increased user engagement, lower churn and greater opportunities for consumers. advertisers,” Iger said.
Iger said 40% of new Disney+ subscribers choose ad-supported products.
More soon…