Disney+ is raising its subscription prices again, marking the fourth increase in five years since it launched. Originally priced at $6.99, subscribers will now have to pay $15.99 for the service's ad-free tier — more than double what it was in 2019.
The price rise is part of increases across the board ahead of Disney's quarterly earnings call, which is set for tomorrow morning. Along with Disney+, sister service Hulu will see its ad-free tier jump from $17.99 to $18.99 per month, with ESPN+ rising from $10.99 to $11.99. The ad-supported versions of the services are getting more expensive as well, with both rising by $2 to $9.99 per month.
A report by THR speculates that the price increase is intended to push consumers toward The Disney Bundle, which will offer the ad tiers of Disney+ and Hulu for $10.99 per month. A streaming bundle featuring ad-supported versions of Disney+, Hulu, and Max is also available for $16.99 per month ($29.99 for the ad-free version.)
The price increases will go into effect on October 17.
The Disney+ price increase is just the latest in a wave of price rises as distributors seek to pass along the expense of running a streaming service to consumers. Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount are among the streamers to raise their prices in 2024. As we wrote in January, streaming is changing, and we're footing the bill.
In the meantime, Disney+ has struggled to reach its potential since launching in 2019, costing Disney billions of dollars in the process. We wrote in our 2023 review, " If you're a Star Wars or Marvel die hard then of course this service is a must, but the thing that really makes it stand out is its back catalog of hard to find old Disney classics. While its ad-supported service is relatively affordable, ad-free Disney+ has almost doubled in price since 2019, and with the streamer removing movies and shows, subscribers are arguably paying more for less. But with originals like Ahsoka and Loki Season 2 still driving the pop culture conversation, those price hikes are likely worth it for most subscribers."
For more, check out all of the biggest TV shows due to release in 2024.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
