- Disney has confirmed new price hikes for Disney+ and Hulu in the US
- However, the cost of three bundles has been frozen
- Fans in the UK, Europe, and Australia won't be affected for the time being
Disney has confirmed price hikes for all but three of its standalone Disney+ and Hulu plans, and bundles including both platforms, in the US — but there's no word on when other nations might be hit by similar rises.
Yesterday (September 23), Bloomberg reported that the entertainment giant was about to increase the cost of signing up for a subscription for the sixth time in as many years.
Per Bloomberg's sources, the biggest markup would see the Hulu-Disney+ Premium (ad-free) bundle go up by 13% to $21.49 per month. That means new and current users would have to pay an additional $2.50 every 30 days. Meanwhile, the cost of numerous other standalone tiers and bundles would go up by as little as $0.50 or as much as $3.00.
Approached by TechRadar for comment, Disney acknowledged that Bloomberg's report was factual.
However, the studio was keen to stress that three of its bundles, including its cheapest offering — the Hulu-Disney+ bundle (with ads) experience — would not be subject to price increases.
Disney added that, compared to its rivals raising the cost of their standalone ads-based tiers by 13%, it had only done so by 4%. Finally, the House of Mouse attributed the price hike to investing in the user experience by way of new technology, features, and back-end improvements.
For reference, here's a full breakdown of every price rise or freeze across Disney's myriad streaming service offerings in the US:
- Disney+, Hulu Bundle (with ads) — staying flat at $12.99
- Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium (ad free) — increasing +$2 to $21.99
- Disney+ and Hulu standalone plans (with ads) — increasing +$0.50 to $12.49
- Disney+ and Hulu Premium standalone plans (ad free) — increasing +$2.50 to $21.49
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle (with ads) — increasing +$2 to $21.99
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium (ad free) — increasing +$3 to $32.99
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle (with ads) — staying flat at $35.99
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium (ad free) — staying flat at $44.99
Why the UK, Europe, and Australia is immune to the Disney+ price hike — for now
Crucially, UK and European subscribers appear to be temporarily immune to these price increases.
Responding to a separate request for comment from TechRadar, Disney also stated it didn't have anything to say about potential price rises in the UK and Europe.
However, in previous years, UK and European fans have seen the cost of Disney+ climb just weeks after their US counterparts were slapped with the now-annual price hike. I wouldn't be stunned, then, if account holders in these regions are forced to pay more for two of the world's best streaming services in the weeks ahead [Update: according to Cord Busters UK, the cost of Disney+ in the UK will go up in October].
Australian Disney+ users were hit by a price hike in April, so it's unlikely — but not completely out of the question — that they'll experience another one in due course.
Regardless of whether you've been hit by this latest price hike, it's been a rough few days for Disney+ users all around.
The week began with Disney having to placate furious fans over inaccurate reports that its ad-free Disney+ tiers would start showing ads. The dust hadn't settled on that story before fans learned that Marvel TV show Daredevil: Born Again would end after its forthcoming third season on Disney+, too.
I'm not superstitious but, as the saying goes, bad news comes in threes. Let's hope that this is the third and final piece of unwelcome news that Disney fans have to deal for a while, then.
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