Today’s quarterly earnings call for the House of Mouse revealed the long-awaited news on the upcoming ad tier of its streaming platform. Deadline reports Disney+ will release the lower-priced ad version in the U.S. on December 8. The price will be set at $7.99 a month or roughly $79.99 a year.
As this subscription option is introduced, pricing for several of its other options – both individual tiers and bundles – will experience some adjustments. According to Deadline, basic ad versions of the Disney+ bundles will arrive as well. For $10 a month, subscribers can access Disney+ and Hulu. The next tier will include the former two and ESPN+ at $12.99; and, those who have all three as part of the Hulu + Live TV subscription will pay $69.99 per month.
With the arrival of the Basic Hulu + Live TV plan, Deadline details Legacy or current subscribers will not see any increase in the two other live TV tiers. Right now Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+, both with ads, is settled at $74.99 a month. And the next Premium version of this cohort with ads only for ESPN+ will remain $82.99.
The current price for ad-free Disney+, which will now be called Disney+ Premium, will remain at $10.99 a month, equaling $109.99 a year, via Deadline. And the Premium bundle plan will remain at $19.99. For those current subscribers, the Disney+ bundle for Premium Disney+ and ad-fixed Hulu and ESPN+ will also stay at its current fee of $14.99.
The announcement was paired with Disney confirming it currently has more total subscribers – across all its platforms – than Netflix, via Deadline. Disney totaled 221.1 million across Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and its Live TV option. They merely out tallied Netflix which reported 220.68 million subscribers globally.
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Chairman, Kareem Daniel, detailed the company’s ultimate plan for the streaming expansion on the call.
“With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience,” Daniel stated via Deadline. “Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ feature unparalleled content and viewing experiences and offer the best value in streaming today, with over 100,000 movie titles, TV episodes, original shows, sports and live events collectively.”