Earlier this summer, the entire streaming industry was waiting with bated breath for Disney to announce the details of its planned price changes for its streaming services Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.
The announcement came in early August, and a couple of weeks later ESPN+ was the first service to increase in price. Now, it’s Hulu’s turn. Starting Monday, Oct. 10, ad-supported Hulu will increase by $1 to $7.99 per month (up from $6.99), and ad-free Hulu will increase from $12.99 per month to $14.99 per month.
If the increases are causing you to wonder if you can still afford your Disney services, the company is offering ways to bundle and save money.
1. Switch to The Disney Bundle
If you switch to The Disney Bundle, existing subscribers to the Disney Bundle which features Disney+ (no ads), Hulu, and ESPN+ (both with ads) will see a slight increase from $13.99 to $14.99 per month on Dec. 8, but will still save more than 50% over purchasing those subscriptions separately.
2. Switch to The Hulu Annual Plan
Another way to save is to sign-up for their annual plan, which is just $69.99 for the next year until Monday. With the annual plan, you’ll pay just $5.83 a month, instead of the $7.99 new pricing for another year.
What About Hulu + Live TV?
Hulu Live TV subscribers don’t have to worry just yet, but their price increase is also on the way. The Hulu Live TV bundle that includes ad-free Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu and ESPN+ will increase by $5 from $69.99 to $74.99 per month on Dec. 8, and the version of that bundle with ad-free Hulu will increase from $75.99 to $82.99 per month. Customers will be able to keep the $69.99 a month pricing, if they choose to include the Disney Bundle with Disney+ w/ Ads.
What About Disney+ and Disney Bundle Price Hikes?
Disney+ will also increase its ad-free service cost to $10.99 monthly on Dec. 8, when it plans to launch an ad-supported tier that will debut at the old ad-free price point of $7.99 per month.
The other tier of the Disney Bundle, which features ad-free versions of both Hulu and Disney+, alongside ad-supported ESPN+, is the only bundle not currently set for a price increase. That bundle currently prices out at $19.99 per month, and will remain unchanged when Disney launches ad-supported Disney+.
The increases are an understandable burden to consumers, but at the very least Disney is committed to using that money to increase the quality of its service. The House of Mouse intended to spend $33 billion on content for its streaming services in the 2022 fiscal year, and its plans to flesh out what it calls “Next Gen Storytelling” won’t come cheap.
It will be fascinating to watch Disney’s subscription numbers over the coming months. Only time will tell if the price increases to Hulu and other Disney services will lead to increased churn, or if customers will stick by Disney.
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