Disney officially announced that the company will jack up prices for streaming services. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will all increase their service fees as of October 17.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ with ads will now cost $9.99 per month, while its ad-free plan will now cost $15.99 per month, a $2 increase from both plans.
Hulu’s ad tier plan will see a $2 increase to $9.99 per month, and its ad-free plan will see a $1 increase to $18.99 per month.
ESPN will also raise the price of their ad tier plan by $1 to $11.99 per month.
According to Deadline, Disney’s bundle plan for all three streaming services will also see a $2 increase for both its ad tier and ad-free plans at $16.99 and $26.99 per month and Hulu with live TV skyrocket by $6 for both its ad tier and ad-free plan at $82.99 and $95.99.
In exchange for these inconvenient price hikes, Disney plans to offer new features within Disney+, such as a playlist feature and ABC News, to all Disney+ subscribers, regardless of their plan. It is unclear whether or not these additional features will also be available on Hulu and ESPN+.
Alisa Bowen, the president of Disney+, believes the playlist feature will drastically improve users’ experience on the platform.
“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, kid’s 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,” Bowen said.
This is not the first time Disney has made plans to increase streaming service fees. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney made similar changes to its monthly fees last year, with Disney+ and Hulu ad-free services charging $3 more than in 2022, and ESPN+ also going up by $1 more than in 2022.