The atmosphere at the Disney Bundle Celebrating National Streaming Day at The Row in Los Angeles on May 19, 2022.
Presley Ann | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Disney is raising prices on its streaming platforms.
Starting mid-October, most plans for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will cost $1 to $2 more per month, according to a press release Tuesday. The most expensive plans for Hulu, which include live TV, will cost $6 more per month.
Disney+ basic and premium will be priced at $9.99 and $15.99, respectively. Hulu with ads will cost $9.99 monthly, while Hulu without adds will cost $18.99 per month. ESPN+, which features ads, will cost $11.99 per month.
The price hikes come as Disney continues to push its customers toward bundles to get a bigger bang for their buck.
For some time, Disney has offered a bundle of its own services, either Hulu and Disney+, or the two streaming services plus ESPN+. The existing bundle of Disney+ and Hulu, with ads, will also get a price hike this fall, up $1 to $10.99 per month. The same bundle without ads won’t see any price increase from the current rate of $19.99 per month.
Disney has also partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery to offer a bundle, which will include Disney+, Hulu and Max. In July, the companies announced the bundle would be available for $16.99 with ads, and $29.99 commercial free, noting “a savings of 38% compared with the price of the services purchased separately.”
Disney also aims to entice subscribers with ABC News Live and a playlist featuring preschool content, available to all subscribers starting Sept. 4, according to the release Tuesday. The company plans to introduce four more curated playlists for premium subscribers.
“Playlists are the latest example of how we’re providing the best value and experience for our subscribers every time they open Disney+,” Alisa Bowen, president of the streaming platform, said in the news release.
Disney reports its fiscal third-quarter earnings before the bell on Wednesday.