Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one – Disney is raising prices for several streaming subscription tiers, and I’m not sure if I should be surprised or not. The cost of its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans is now past $20, which is just crazy. I mean, I know inflation is a thing, but come on. Disney+ and Hulu’s Premium standalone plans will rise $2.50 to $21.49 each per month, effective immediately for new subscribers, because who doesn’t love a good price hike?
The ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle will rise $2 to $21.99 per month, which is still a pretty penny if you ask me. Meanwhile, Disney’s ad-supported standalone plans will increase by $0.50, to $12.49 each per month, though the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle will remain unchanged at $12.99. I guess that’s some good news, but I’m not exactly jumping for joy.
You can’t make this stuff up – the price increases come as Disney prepares to roll out what it calls a “one-app experience” later this year. Because, you know, what we really need is more streaming services to keep track of. Bloomberg first reported the price hikes on Wednesday, and I’m sure they were just thrilled to break the news to all of us.
Disney reported that revenue from Disney+ and Hulu increased 11% year over year to $5.53 billion in its fiscal third quarter. Both Disney and Netflix have stopped regularly reporting quarterly subscriber counts, but I’m sure they’re just fine and not at all worried about losing customers due to price hikes. Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said during an investor call last month that the company is “exploring a free product for consumers,” which sounds like a great idea, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, but I just think it’s business as usual. The $12.49 ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu plans will each cost $3.50 more per month than ad-supported options from Netflix and Paramount+, and $1.50 more than HBO Max’s. Because who needs affordable streaming options, anyway?
At $21.49 per month, Disney+ Premium, which includes 4K streaming, will cost less than rival Netflix’s $26.99 Premium plan and HBO Max’s $22.99 Premium plan, but more than Paramount+’s $13.99-per-month Premium plan. So, I guess that’s some consolation, but I’m still not sure if it’s worth the cost.
In conclusion, Disney is raising prices, and I’m not surprised. The prices are going up, and we’re all just along for the ride. But hey, at least we’ll have a “one-app experience” to look forward to, so that’s a silver lining, right? Bless their hearts for thinking we’ll just happily pay more for streaming services without batting an eye.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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