Disney has raised the monthly prices of most Disney+ and Hulu plans in the U.S., with the largest increases landing on people who pay to avoid ads.
The current Disney+ plan page lists Disney+ Premium at $21.49 a month, while MacRumors reports that the comparable Hulu plan now carries the same price. Both ad-free standalone tiers previously cost $18.99, making the increase $2.50 a month.
The standalone ad-supported plans rose more modestly, from $11.99 to $12.49 a month. New subscribers pay the higher rates immediately, according to MacRumors, while existing subscribers will see them on their next monthly bill.
Bundles become the obvious comparison
Disney left the ad-supported Disney+/Hulu bundle unchanged at $12.99 a month. That is only 50 cents more than either service by itself, making the bundle difficult to ignore for customers who are willing to watch ads. The premium Disney+/Hulu bundle rose from $19.99 to $21.99, also leaving only a small difference between the bundle and either $21.49 standalone ad-free plan.
Bundles that add ESPN or HBO Max also became more expensive. The Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Select premium bundle is now $32.99, while the Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle without ads is $34.99. Disney notes that select live and linear programming may still include ads even on plans described as ad-free.
Another annual increase
Ars Technica reports that this is Disney+'s fourth price increase in four years. The service launched in 2019 at $6.99 a month without ads; the current ad-free monthly price is now more than three times that amount.
The increases arrive as Disney's streaming business becomes more profitable. Ars, citing Disney's latest quarterly results, says combined Disney+ and Hulu revenue rose 11% and operating income climbed 116% year over year to $712 million.
The pricing structure points to a second goal beyond collecting more from standalone subscribers. Bundles can make cancellation less attractive and give Disney more ways to spread viewers across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN. Holding the entry bundle at $12.99 makes that strategy unusually explicit: one extra 50-cent step now turns either ad-supported standalone plan into a two-service package.
Technology