Disney hikes pricing of its ad-free streaming services, plans to stop password sharing in 2024
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Some big changes are coming to Disney’s streaming services as ad-free Disney+ and Hulu prices are getting hiked. At the same time, Disney says that it wants to start “actively exploring” how it can better police password sharing just as Netflix is now doing. The company might feel some pressure since the number of global Disney+ subscribers declined for just the second time during the second quarter to 157.8 million, a 4 million decline from the first quarter figure.
Disney is keeping the ad-supported versions of Disney+ and Hulu priced at $7.99 per month. The price for Disney+ ad-free will rise to $13.99 per month from $10.99 per month, a 27,3% rise. The price for ad-free Hulu is rising 20% from $14.99 to $17.99 per month. However, an ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle will cost $19.99 per month, just $2 per month more than ad-free Hulu. This bundle will be available in the U.S. starting on September 6th.
Meanwhile, the Hulu+ Live TV offerings will see a price hike of $7 a month taking the ad-supported plan to $76.99, a 10% increase. The ad-free Live TV plan will be $89.99 following the price hike, an 8.4% increase. And ESPN+ pricing is going up 10% or $1 to $10.99 per month.
As for ways to combat password sharing, the other day during Disney’s quarterly conference call, CEO Bob Iger said, “We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family. Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies. And we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024.”
Iger added, “We already have the technical capability to monitor much of this, and I’m not gonna give you a specific number except to say it’s significant. We certainly have established this as a real priority, and we actually think that there’s an opportunity here to help us grow our business.”
If Iger is right about the timing, those Disney+ users viewing the platform thanks to a shared password have at least until the end of this year to continue this behavior.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which ad-free streaming services from Disney are seeing price increases?
Which ad-free streaming services from Disney are seeing price increases?
A.
Ad-free Disney+ and ad-free Hulu are both experiencing price hikes. The ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle and ad-free Hulu+ Live TV plan are also increasing in price.
Q.When will Disney begin to enforce its new password sharing policies?
When will Disney begin to enforce its new password sharing policies?
A.
Disney will start updating subscriber agreements with new terms later this year. They plan to roll out specific tactics to drive monetization related to password sharing sometime in 2024.
Q.Did Disney’s subscriber numbers change recently, and if so, how?
Did Disney’s subscriber numbers change recently, and if so, how?
A.
Yes, Disney+ saw a decline in global subscribers for the second time. The number fell by 4 million from the first quarter figure to 157.8 million in the second quarter.
Q.What will be the price of the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle?
What will be the price of the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle?
A.
The ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle will cost $19.99 per month. This bundle will become available in the U.S. Starting on September 6th.