Disney’s popular streaming service is set to receive yet another price hike, marking the fourth increase for the streamer since it launched in 2019. The new ad-free tier of Disney+ will soon cost $US16 a month. It comes as Disney and other companies continue to try and squeeze more profit out of expensive-to-run streaming services and before some recent hits, like Inside Out 2 , arrive at home this fall.
Launched in 2019, Disney+ was the company’s answer to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The service launched with all of The Simpsons, Star Wars, and most Marvel movies, as well as a large collection of classic Disney films, shows, and animated shorts. In the five years since it started, Disney+ has grown more and more, as Disney has added Hulu shows, more original content, Fox-owned properties, and licensed shows like Doctor Who to the service.
But all that content doesn’t come cheap and over the last few years, the price of Disney+ has increased almost every year. And that’s happening again this fall. Starting on October 17 , Disney confirmed that most of its streaming plans including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will cost around $US1 to $US2 more a month.
Hulu’s most pricey plan, which includes live TV, will cost $US6 more a month. Meanwhile, Disney+ basic (which has ads) and Disney+ premium (which is ad-free) are jumping up to $US10 and $US16 respectively. That means an ad-free Disney+ subscription will cost twice what it did in 2019 at launch, when Disney offered jus.