Stop us if you’ve heard this before: your streaming subscriptions are getting more expensive. Oh wait, we already wrote a story today about Sling TV jacking up its prices. Well, don’t look now, but in another move you might call hilarious or depressing — maybe even a little bit of both — Disney-owned streaming services Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu are set to increase their toll on your viewership, especially when it comes down to packages and how much ad time you’re willing to put up with.
The changes will apply from December 8 for new customers, while existing customers will see the impact on new billing cycles on and after this date.
Disney+ subscribers have been bracing for a previously announced ad-supported tier to appear for months, and it looks like this is where the rubber hits the road. If you were hoping it would be cheaper than the current ad-free service, though, you’d be wrong. According to the company, the new ad-supported tier will take the existing price of $8 per month or $80 for an annual plan, while the ad-free version will go up to $11 and $110, respectively. Ad-supported users lose the ability to download series and movies for later viewing.
Bundlers who want Hulu wrapped in can pick up the new Disney Bundle Duo Basic which includes ad-supported viewing on both platforms for $10 per month. Ironically, existing Disney+ subscribers aren’t eligible to sign up right away — only new Disney+ subscribers as well as any Hulu sub. The new Disney Bundle Trio Basic adds ESPN+ (which is always ad-supported no matter where you watch it bundled) and is priced at $13 per month. The Disney package currently offered, which removes ads on Disney+ and keeps ads on Hulu and ESPN+, will jump from $14 to $15 per month and will no longer be available to new customers after December 7. The same package but without ads on Hulu will continue to exist and remain at $20 per month.
Hulu customers have seen two price increases on single-service plans in as many years, with the latest in October bringing ad-supported plans to $8 per month or $80 per year, and ad-free plans to $15 per month. They won’t go up anymore for now, thankfully, but if you subscribe to any of the Hulu + Live TV packages, you’re in for your own world of pain.
Right now, customers pay $70 per month for a package of Hulu with ads, Disney+ without ads, ESPN+ with ads, and live TV (which of course contains ads). Starting Dec. 8, Hulu says that will jump to $75. The same package that has no ads on Hulu will also jump from $76 to $83 per month. Those who prefer to still pay $70 per month can switch to a new plan that shows ads on all three services.
If you’re billed by Hulu and added ad-free Disney+ for $3 per month, you’ll get to keep it after December 7th, but it will no longer be offered. Ad-supported Disney+ will be available starting December 8 as an additional $2 per month instead.
For now, it looks like ESPN+ will remain tied at $10 per month or $100 per year.
If you’re confused about all the changes coming on December 8, we’ve summarized it in bullet form below:
Disney+
- Single service plan
- With ads (NEW) – $8 monthly/$80 annually
- Without ads – going from $8/$80 to $11/$110
- Bundles
- Disney Bundle Duo Basic (NEW) – $10 monthly
- Includes Disney+ with ads, Hulu with ads
- Disney Bundle Trio Basic (NEW) – $13 monthly
- Includes Disney+ with ads, Hulu with ads, ESPN+ with ads
- Legacy Disney Bundle (DEPARTURE) – going from $13 to $14 monthly
- Includes Disney+ without ads, Hulu with ads, ESPN+ with ads
- No new entries after December 7; older customers can keep
- Disney Bundle Trio Premium – stays at $20 monthly
- Includes Disney+ without ads, Hulu without ads, ESPN+ with ads
- Disney Bundle Duo Basic (NEW) – $10 monthly
Hulu
- Single service plan
- With ads – $8 monthly/$80 yearly
- No ads – $15 monthly
- Supplement
- Ad-free Disney+ (DEPARTURE) – $3 monthly
- No new entries after December 7; older customers can keep
- Ad-supported Disney+ (NEW) – $2 monthly
- Ad-free Disney+ (DEPARTURE) – $3 monthly
- Live TV packages
- Hulu w/ ads, Disney+ w/ ads, ESPN+ w/ ads (NEW) – $70 monthly
- Hulu with ads, Disney+ without ads, ESPN+ with ads – go from $70 to $75 monthly
- Hulu without ads, Disney+ without ads, ESPN+ with ads – goes from $76 to $83 monthly
ESPN+
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