August 10, 2023
Subscribers to Disney's streaming services will soon need to dig deeper into their pockets, as the company is increasing monthly fees for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. It may also implement a crackdown on password sharing.
Starting Oct. 12, standalone U.S. subscriptions without advertisements for Disney+ and Hulu will be raised by $3 each, Disney announced Wednesday. ESPN+ subscriptions will increase by $1 a month, and Hulu + live TV combos will be upped by $7.
MORE: Netflix ends password sharing. What does this mean for subscribers?
Disney is also rolling out a new monthly $19.99 ad-free combination bundle for people who want to subscribe to both Disney+ and Hulu. This option is notably cheaper than the $31.98 it would cost monthly to purchase the two separately.
Here is a breakdown of the price hikes that will be enacted this fall:
• Disney+ Premium (no ads) — $13.99 monthly (formerly $10.99)
• Hulu (no ads) — $17.99 monthly (formerly $14.99)
• ESPN+ (with ads) — $10.99 monthly (formerly $9.99)
• Hulu + Live TV (with ads) — $76.99 monthly (formerly $69.99)
• Hulu + Live TV (no ads) — $89.99 monthly (formerly $82.99)
The standalone ad-supported packages for Disney+ and Hulu will remain $7.99 per month each, and the ad-supported bundle for the two will remain $9.99.
In May, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the upcoming price increases "better reflect the value of our content offerings." He also hinted that, along with the new ad-free bundle offering, Disney+ and Hulu may soon be integrated into a "one-app experience."
The company is also expanding Disney+ ad-supported plans internationally to Europe, the U.K. and Canada in November. Disney first offered cheaper plans including advertisements in the U.S. in December, the same time it last increased prices on premium plans. Since then, 3.3 million customers have signed up for ad-supported plans, Iger said.
On top of rising fees, Disney also has teased plans to stop allowing subscribers to share their accounts with people outside their homes. The company is "actively exploring ways to address account sharing," Iger said on Wednesday, adding that the company's unspecified anti-password sharing tactics could be unveiled next year.
This is not the first time in recent history a streamer has attempted to nix password sharing.
In May, after months of hinting at a crackdown, Netflix took action to eliminate password sharing in the U.S. Under Netflix's new policy, subscribers have to pay an extra $7.99 a month to allow people outside of their homes to continue using their accounts, or remove the extra users altogether. Since then, Netflix has reported an increase in paid subscribers of 5.89 million.
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