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Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu subscriptions will be more expensive very soon. Disney has confirmed a price increase that will go into effect in October. With this, the company continues the process of making its large investments profitable. While Disney Plus prices will increase, there are a couple of new features to try to justify it. Recently, the company partnered with Warner Bros. to launch an attractive Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle.
The Disney Plus project was born in 2019 with high expectations. However, the company barely made its first profit during Q2 2024. The new price increase on Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu subscriptions seems to be a move that seeks to continue on this path. That said, subscribers probably won’t be very happy with the announcement.
Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu prices will increase in October
Starting with the Disney Plus plan with ads, the monthly fee will go from $8 to $10. On the other hand, the ad-free plan will increase from $14 to $16. Regarding the Disney Plus’ annual plan, it will cost $160 (previously $140). As for Hulu, the monthly fee for the ad-supported plan will increase from $8 to $10, while the ad-free plan will cost $19 (previously $18). Hulu’s annual plan will also be affected, increasing from $80 to $100.
For sports fans, ESPN’s monthly plan will increase from $11 to $12, while the annual plan will cost $120 (previously $110). Disney’s basic and premium streaming bundle subscribers can also expect a small increase in October. That said, Disney Plus subscriptions will include ABC News Live as a new perk. Additionally, the company will launch themed playlists with hand-picked content.
The new playlists will be divided into categories to help find content sets easily. Disney Plus will first get a “Preschool” category with content suitable for the little ones. In the coming months, the service will receive the “Seasonal,” “Epic Stories” (Marvel and Star Wars primarily), “Throwbacks” (for retro content), and “Real Life” (documentaries) categories.
Disney wants to stay on the path to profitability
The company previously stated its intentions to make Disney Plus profitable this year. In an official statement, Disney said it expects the service to become “profitable in the fourth quarter (2024).” They also aim for “further improvements in profitability in fiscal 2025.” Only time will tell if making Disney Plus, ESPN, and Hulu subscriptions more expensive helps them achieve that goal or if it ends up being counterproductive.