Gulp. A Disney Plus price hike, its second in the less-than-three years since it launched, is coming. And it's really freaking big. Oh, and if you don't want to pay that much? An ad-supported Disney Plus is coming.
CNBC broke the news, but that's not the only bad news at hand. Fellow Disney-owned streaming service Hulu is also getting more expensive. All in all, two of the best streaming services are getting more expensive.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Old monthly price | New monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Disney Plus | $7.99 | $10.99 (Dec. 8) |
| Disney Plus with ads | n/a | $7.99 (Dec. 8) |
| Hulu with ads | $6.99 | $7.99 (Oct. 10) |
| Hulu without ads | $12.99 | $14.99 (Oct. 10) |
| ESPN Plus | $6.99 | $9.99 (Aug. 2022) |
Disney Plus, which last had a price hike in March 2021 (going from $6.99 to $7.99) will be getting a much larger increase, of $3 more per month — now $10.99. That, though is for the ad-free Disney Plus. Ad-supported Disney Plus will be sold for $7.99 per month, the same existing rate. These changes go into effect on Dec. 8.
Bizarrely, Disney's own press release mistakenly showed an incorrect $19.99 per month ad-free Disney Plus price. A Disney rep confirmed to Tom's Guide that this was an "error in the online version."
Meanwhile, on October 10, Hulu's price goes up by $1 for the ad-supported version, now $7.99. Ad-free Hulu will go up to $14.99, from $12.99. This all comes on the back of the ESPN Plus price hike, which is $3 per month more now, which goes into effect this month.
Analysis: The Disney Bundle is the way to save
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Old monthly price | New monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-free Disney Plus, ad-supported Hulu and ESPN+ | $13.99 | $14.99 |
Current customers can save around $14 bucks when they get the Disney bundle, with ad-free Disney Plus ($10.99) and ad-supported Hulu ($7.99) and ESPN+ ($9.99).
That bundle, you might notice, is also more expensive than it formerly was, as it's moving up to $13.99.
New customers? Well, they'll have three bundle offers to choose from:
- Ad-supported Disney Plus and Hulu: $9.99 per month — savings of around $6
- Ad-supported Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus: $12.99 — savings of about $13
- Ad-free Disney Plus and Hulu with ESPN Plus: $19.99 — savings of about $16
The most interesting deal there is the new Disney Plus and Hulu bundle that's there for people (like myself) who see ESPN Plus as something unnecessary. There will not be an ad-free Disney Plus and Hulu bundle.
Annual pricing goes up too — but it's still available
There is one way to avoid the Disney Plus price increase.
Ad-free Disney Plus currently costs $79.99, and it's going up by $30, to $109.99 on Dec. 8. So, if you get the current annual deal now, you can save — especially when compared to the $51 per month more you'd spend at the new rate.
Next: Here's why Disney Plus's price hike is a huge blunder. How to watch the Better Call Saul finale online. Disney Prime could be the next big Disney suscription — what we know so far
