Last October, Disney raised prices on their Disney+ and Hulu plans, as well as the Hulu live TV packages and ESPN+ subscriptions. It was the second time within a year that they had done so. The rate changes were between $4 and $7, which is arguably a lot. Customers were pretty upset, myself included. Well, unfortunately, Disney is once again raising prices for its streaming services. Effective October 17, subscription prices for Disney+ will go up by $2, for ESPN+ and the Disney/Hulu bundle by $1, and $1 to $2 for Hulu+ (depending on the plan). Hulu With Live TV will go up by $6 for the yearly plan, bringing it up to $83 (with ads) and $96 (without ads) per year. Disney is trying to justify their latest price hike by adding “playlists” to Disney+, which will basically act like “channels” a la the Paramount Plus app. The channel options will include ABC News Live and a “playlist of preschool content.”
Big changes are coming to Disney+ later this year, with the company planning price hikes and the addition of what it is calling “continuous playlists” and live news to the platform.
On the pricing front, Disney+ will see the monthly cost of its ad-supported tier rise by $2 to $9.99, while its ad-free tier will rise by $2 to $15.99. Hulu‘s ad tier will also rise by $2 to $9.99 per month, with its ad-free plan rising by $1 to $18.99 per month. Notably, the price hikes appear designed to push consumers to the The Disney Bundle, which will offer the ad tiers of Disney+ and Hulu for $10.99 per month (up $1 from previously), only slightly more than one service or the other. The company is also raising prices at ESPN+, which will increase by $1 to 11.99 per month, and at Hulu With Live TV, which will rise by $6 per month to $82.99, which includes the ad tiers of Hulu and Disney+, and to $95.99 for the ad-free tiers.
All the price hikes will be effective Oct. 17. The company last raised prices a year ago, announcing them in August with an effective date in October. Last year, however, only the ad-free tiers were impacted.
But with the price hikes, Disney is also adding new features to Disney+. Most notably, the company is adding “playlists” to the service, effectively linear channels for viewers to jump and start watching like a traditional TV network. That will include the ABC News Live, the live streaming service of Disney-owned ABC News, and a playlist of preschool content (think Sofia the First, The Lion Guard, Puppy Dog Pals).
Both channels will become available to all subscribers Sept. 4 (notably for ABC News Live, it will be ahead of the 2024 election). Other channels based on seasonal content, retro and nostalgia programming, real-life programming, and “epic stories” like Marvel and Star Wars will be added later in the fall, but only for Premium subscribers.
“Playlists are the latest example of how we’re providing the best value and experience for our subscribers every time they open Disney+,” said Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+, in a statement. “Whether its news, kids’ content, popular genres, hit TV shows or blockbuster films, there will be something for everyone in a lean-back viewing experience based on seasonality and interest.”
The playlists operate similarly to the “channels” users can find on subscription services like Peacock and free streaming services like Pluto TV and Tubi, with a linear schedule built around a specific theme or genre. They allow users to jump in and start watching, without having to hunt around for something to watch, and some media executives believe they can help increase “stickiness” and viewership.
Ehhh honestly, I’d rather save the money each month than have this channel BS. I would rather they just introduced that as an option for a new tier, to be honest. They should have asked me! I know I’ve griped about this before, but it’s so annoying how expensive all of the streaming platforms have gotten. We cut cable 10.5 years ago, in February 2014, and back then, it was a glorious time of savings. Sadly, that’s not the case anymore, even though I think we all knew that capitalism would come for cable-cutters eventually. I wonder how long it will be until consumers strike back. After last year’s price hikes, I ended up taking advantage of yearlong Black Friday offers for a few different services, punting the problem until this winter. The clock is ticking, though, and I hate that we’re going to have to make a decision on which services to keep and which to ditch. It’s a shame, though, because the content on most platforms is pretty good.
Photos via Instagram/Hulu and Disney+. Header photo is from this Instagram video for the show Playground, a Hulu reality series about dancers