Just as “Toy Story 5” hits streaming, Disney is increasing prices for Disney+ and Hulu.
Starting Wednesday, new subscribers to the ad-free premium tiers of Disney+ and Hulu will pay $21.49 a month for each service, up $2.50. The ad-supported versions of each will cost $12.49 per month, up 50 cents. Existing subscribers will see the new prices on their next monthly bill.
The bundles tell a different story. The ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle will remain at $12.99 a month. The ad-free bundle increases $2 to $21.99, 50 cents more than a single premium subscription. The changes reflect a bigger push for consumers to bundle services instead of choosing standalone subscriptions.
The Burbank-based media giant launched Disney+ in 2019 and signed up more than 10 million customers on its first day. The service carries Disney classics like “The Lion King” and “Lilo & Stitch,” as well as movies from its other studios such as Marvel and Lucasfilm.
Disney acquired a controlling stake in Hulu as part of its $71.3-billion purchase in 2019 of much of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox assets and has since taken full ownership. The company has been working to integrate the two streaming services since then.
Disney has also been integrating its ESPN programming into Disney+. Earlier this month, ESPN raised the price of its Unlimited plan from $29.99 to $31.99 a month. The annual plan rose from $299.99 to $319.99. The Mouse House’s bundles combining Disney+, Hulu and ESPN range from $21.99 to $44.99 a month.
Disney isn’t the only company raising streaming prices. Just this year, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV and YouTube Premium have all also hiked their subscription fees.
Under Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro, who took over in March, the company is doubling down on tech more than ever. Last week, Disney named former YouTube executive Adam Smith as the chairman of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment and Karandeep Anand the company’s first-ever chief technology officer.
