Walt Disney announced a price increase for its main Disney+ streaming service in the United States starting next month, aiming to boost profits from its digital platforms. The ad-supported Disney+ plan will go up by $2 to $11.99 per month, while the ad-free premium tier will increase by $3 to $18.99 per month. Annual premium subscriptions will also see a jump of $30 to $189.99. Bundled packages including Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ will also experience price hikes.
The price adjustments will also affect Canadian subscribers, with a premium subscription cost rising from $119.99 to $159.99 on October 28. Disney+ has been incrementally raising prices since its launch in November 2019, part of a broader strategy to drive growth and profitability in streaming services. The company mentioned that the higher prices will enable them to offer more original content, quality movies, and TV shows to users.
This marks the fourth consecutive year of subscription price increases for Disney+, with the streaming business turning profitable for the first time last year. The price hike comes amidst controversy for Disney, following backlash and accusations of silencing free speech after Jimmy Kimmel was briefly taken off the air. Protests outside Disney’s California headquarters and calls for a boycott of Disney+ and Hulu have gained traction.
Jimmy Kimmel has since returned to television after being reinstated, addressing free speech and clarifying his previous remarks. In his comeback monologue, Kimmel touched on political satire and defended his comments that initially led to his suspension. He humorously mentioned Disney’s request for viewers to resubscribe to Disney+ and Hulu now that he is back on the show.