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The Walt Disney Company is raising prices for its streaming services for the second year in a row, immediately angering customers who find themselves paying higher and higher prices for less content.
Credit: Disney+
As of October 17, Disney+ customers will find their streaming subscription prices increasing by $2. The ad-supported version of the service will go from $7.99 a month to $9.99. Ad-free will be upped from $13.99 to $15.99. Similarly, Hulu with ads is now $9.99 ($2 increase) and no ads is $18.99 ($1 increase). The cost of a Disney bundle is also increasing, with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ getting raised $2 and the Disney+ and Hulu bundles get a $1 hike.
This is the first price hike for Disney streaming services since October 2023, just over a year since the Mouse House tried to combat its losses by directly billing consumers.
Related: Disney+ Faces Mass Cancellation, All Subscribers Affected This Month
Credit: Inside the Magic
The official notice for the price hikes is buried deep in an announcement for “continuous playlists,” the company’s innovative attempt to replicate the idea of a TV channel in the streaming world. Regarding the playlists, Disney+ President Alisa Bowen says:
“Playlists are the latest example of how we’re providing the best value and experience for our subscribers every time they open Disney+. Whether it’s news, kids’ content, popular genres, hit TV shows or blockbuster films, there will be something for everyone in a lean-back viewing experience based on seasonality and interest.”
Beneath the breathless ad copy for continuous playlists is a small notice that reads, “With this growing offering, and new ways to enjoy your favorite Disney+ content, Disney subscription plans remain among the best values in streaming today. Beginning October 17, 2024, the new pricing for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ ad-supported and ad-free plans in the U.S. will be:
Credit: Disney
The lack of profit in streaming had been a constant source of frustration for The Walt Disney Company, which has been throwing everything it can at the platform to try to make it make money. At the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference, Bob Iger blamed the company for getting too deep into the streaming wars before being ready, saying, “As we got into the streaming business in a very, very aggressive way, we tried to tell too many stories. Basically, we invested too much, way ahead of possible returns. It’s what led to streaming ending up as a $4 billion loss.”
Now, every major streamer from Disney+ to Hulu to Netflix to Prime Video to Apple TV+ is trying to figure out how to retroactively find a strategy that can justify the extreme level of executive FOMO that caused them to put all their eggs in the streaming basket.
Related: “Walt Disney Himself Was a Big Believer”: Bob Iger Says Founder Would Have Embraced AI Tech
Credit: Disney
As one can expect, customers of the streaming service are not thrilled about yet another price hike. Twitter user @DDoc42 posted, “Disney+ hasn’t kept a lot of subscribers around over the last couple years. They recently raised the price a couple months ago if I’m not mistaken. The new content isn’t reflecting the price. At one point the platform is just going to get so expensive it has to shut down.”
Disney+ hasn’t kept a lot of subscribers around over the last couple years. They recently raised the price a couple months ago if I’m not mistaken. The new content isn’t reflecting the price. At one point the platform is just going to get so expensive it has to shut down. https://t.co/4tPL1eX0kl
— Dave Doc (@DDoc42) August 6, 2024
@JerryCallo27 got a little more graphic about it, saying, “Agreed. They’ve got me by the balls because my little ones are 6 and 3 and all hell would break lose without Disney, but for people not in the same boat, idk how they justify the price increase.”
Agreed. They’ve got me by the balls because my little ones are 6 and 3 and all hell would break lose without Disney, but for people not in the same boat, idk how they justify the price increase.
— Jerry Callo (@JerryCallo27) August 6, 2024
@peachesman7 gave a good breakdown of how Disney+ had changed in the five years since its launch. He posted, “When Disney+ launched in Nov 2019, it was 6.99mo/69.99yr. Not even 5 years later and price will have more than doubled. Not only are they not producing enough new quality content, they’ve gutted content over the past year. For the first time, I may consider not renewing.”
When Disney+ launched in Nov 2019, it was 6.99mo/69.99yr. Not even 5 years later and price will have more than doubled. Not only are they not producing enough new quality content, they’ve gutted content over the past year. For the first time, I may consider not renewing. https://t.co/QN10tIkmCV
— Nick Weiss (@peachesman7) August 6, 2024
At this point, it seems that Disney’s streaming plan is to just keep raising the prices until it fully alienates its consumer base. Let’s see how that works out for them.
Will you keep paying for Disney+ streaming at these prices?
For anyone who relies on Disney Jr., just a note. You can find limited content on regular YouTube which does not require a subscription fee. The same with Bluey. Both have channels on YouTube. We don’t use them for children, but our pet birds who love the colorful shows, and it’s clean so no chance of them learning foul language. LOL! But some good content with some of the new stuff. Once my year promo runs out, I’ll be dropping Hulu and Disney + since I don’t use them often at all. So maybe this will help someone who is tired of the price increases.