Disney+ pricing to increase for subscribers in the U.S. and ad-tier launch to expand to Europe and Canada

Aug 09, 2023 in "Disney+"

Forum Forums Tweet Share Tweet Share

Posted: Wednesday August 9, 2023 5:12pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Following the ad-tier launch in the U.S., today, Disney+ announced an ad-supported offering will be available in select markets across Europe and in Canada beginning November 1 alongside price increases for subscribers in the U.S.

Disney+

Disney+ pricing will be increased for viewers in the U.S. and there will also be a new ad-free bundled subscription plan, starting September 6, featuring Disney+ Premium and Hulu (No Ads) for $19.99/month.

The new Disney+ and Hulu Bundle ad-free plan launching on September 6 adds another option to the line-up of subscription plans. Beginning October 12, the new pricing for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ ad-supported and ad-free plans in the U.S. include:

Disney+ fall 2023 pricing

“The strong momentum of our ad-supported plans in the U.S. demonstrates the importance of providing consumers with choice, flexibility and value,” said Joe Earley, President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment.“We are excited to expand that offering in more markets across the globe, including in Europe and Canada, and to launch a new premium duo bundle of ad-free Disney+ and Hulu this Fall, as we take steps toward making extensive Hulu content available via Disney+ later this year for Bundle subscribers.”

Internationally, Disney+ will launch a new Standard tier, as well as Standard with Ads in select European markets and Canada. The new ad-supported plans start at £4.99/€5.99 month in EMEA and $7.99/month in Canada. Existing subscribers in applicable markets will remain in the Premium tier with No Ads when their subscription price increases in December, unless they opt to switch into one of the new lower-priced plans.

The ad-supported, Standard and Premium plans in select European markets and Canada offer access to the Disney+ content library and key product features including:

Exclusive Originals & Library Content: A collection of thousands of award-winning titles across films, documentaries, TV series, and shorts, all in one place
Profiles: Ability to create multiple profiles per account, with the option to set profile PINs and content ratings by profile through Parental Controls
Concurrent Viewing: Stream on up to four supported devices simultaneously, depending on your plan
High-Quality Video Formats: Depending on your plan, formats include 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, Full HD, HDR10, and Expanded Aspect Ratio with IMAX Enhanced where supported

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

MisterPenguin2 hours ago

Hulu as a place with a bunch of content, a lot of it licensed (like good 'ol Netflix used to be) will be eventually integrated totally into D+. Hulu Live as a place to stream Live Linear TV will continue to be a separate streamer. But with linear TV dying.... Hulu Live (along with other live linear streamers, like YouTube TV) will eventually die out.

Disney Irish7 hours ago

For now they will have the two tier approach. You can get Hulu in D+ if you have the bundle, or you can sub to Hulu as a standalone product. I do see a point where Hulu is just phased out as a standalone product and just merged completely in D+ as they have Star outside the US. It makes sense long term as it saves on costs. I don't know what she said, but the writing has been on the wall for awhile that a consolidation/bundling was going to begin at some point in the near future. We've just finally started hitting that point.

PiratesMansion7 hours ago

So pardon my ignorance if this was discussed and I just missed the memo. What is the current endgame regarding D+ and Hulu? Since their programming is effectively merged for people paying or both, are they going to phase Hulu out entirely in the near future? Or are they going to continue the two-tiered approach where they offer both options a la carte or you can essentially pay to merge them into one app, as they are now? Sheesh, everything Emily St. James said about streaming when she was at Vox came true and then some!

_caleb8 hours ago

https://deadline.com/2024/05/disney-plus-hulu-max-bundle-streaming-milestone-1235909265/

MisterPenguin9 hours ago

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/new-preschool-series-inspired-by-the-little-mermaid-to-launch-on-disney-june-28/ https://deadline.com/2024/05/fox-lachlan-murdoch-sports-streaming-jv-name-bundling-1235908540/

Dead200920 hours ago

In addition to this, ESPN is getting a tab on Disney+ as well https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/espn-tile-disneyplus-2024-1235892352/

MisterPenguin1 day ago

https://variety.com/2024/awards/artists/ron-howard-jim-henson-documentary-1235993303/

DCBaker1 day ago

"Live sports are coming to Disney+ sooner than you might think. ESPN says that next Tuesday’s WNBA tip-off games, including Caitlin Clark’s regular season debut with the league, will stream on Disney+. On May 14, Clark’s Indiana Fever will face off against the Connecticut Sun, and the Phoenix Mercury will face the Las Vegas Aces. Both games will stream on Disney+, the company says, and will also be available on ESPN+, and on ESPN2. The WNBA games are a big deal, as until now, Disney+ has not been in the live sports business, with one rare exception. Disney has done some experimental streams with the NFL and NHL, in which it used technology to stream games live, but with animated characters in place of the actual athletes. The WNBA games will be the full, studio productions, not animated simulcasts. And given the hype and interest Clark is bringing to the league, it may deliver big numbers." Full article below. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caitlins-clark-wnba-debut-stream-on-disney-plus-1235892635/

DCBaker1 day ago

A look at select upcoming Disney+ and Hulu releases from the Q2 earnings presentation.

DCBaker2 days ago

Reuters reports Disney and Comcast are now in talks to hire an investment bank that will independently value Hulu. NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N),and Comcast (CMCSA.O), are seeking to hire a financial adviser to resolve a dispute over how to value the 33% stake in streaming platform Hulu that the former will acquire from the latter, according to people familiar with the matter. The move is in accordance with a deal the companies struck for Hulu last year. It is an action their contract foresees if JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), which provided a fairness opinion on Hulu for Disney, and Morgan Stanley, which provided such an opinion for Comcast, are too far apart in their valuation assessments. JPMorgan has valued Hulu for Disney at close to $27.5 billion, which is the floor valuation for Hulu that the companies had set as part of their 2019 "put-call" agreement, one of the sources said. Morgan Stanley valued Hulu for Comcast at more than $40 billion, another source said. Disney and Comcast are now in talks to hire an investment bank that will independently value Hulu, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential. Hulu, which boasts popular original titles such as "Shogun", "The Bear", "Prey", and "Only Murders in the Building", had 49.7 million subscribers at the end of Dec 2023, representing a growth of 2% from the September quarter. In remarks at a Goldman Sachs conference last year, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts called Hulu a "scarce kingmaker asset" that is "way more valuable today" than when the deal was initially struck. Disney has already completed the addition of Hulu to its Disney+ streaming service, which is home to titles such as "Moana" and "Frozen." In regulatory filings last year, Disney and Comcast had outlined that if the valuation reached by their two banks were within 10% of each other, a deal will be consummated at a valuation that is the average of the two appraisals. Since the two appraisals are more than 10% apart, Comcast and Disney are jointly in talks to pick a third bank to do an independent appraisal, the sources said. As per the terms of the agreement, if the third appraisal is closest to the valuation of that produced by Disney's bank, the average of those two valuations will be the value at which the deal gets done. Similarly, if the third appraisal is closest to the valuation of that produced by Comcast's bank, the average of those two valuations is the value at which the deal gets done. If the average of the third appraisal is below $27.5 billion, the final valuation will be $27.5 billion. In 2019, Disney and Comcast signed an agreement for Hulu with an option strike date of January 2024, after Disney's $71 billion takeover of Fox's assets, including its minority stake in Hulu. The deal gave Disney majority control over Hulu as it already owned a 33% stake in the streaming service. Comcast retained its stake in Hulu at the time believing that its value would increase significantly by 2024. In November last year, Disney agreed to take full control of Hulu and pay Comcast at least $8.6 billion for the remaining 33% stake, after Comcast triggered the deal as part of the 2019 agreement. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-comcast-seek-advisor-resolve-hulu-valuation-sources-say-2024-05-06/

DCBaker2 days ago

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy arrives September 13, 2024 on Disney+. Here's the new trailer: Poster:

MisterPenguin4 days ago

https://press.disneyplus.com/press.disneyplus.com/news/disney-plus-the-simpsons-new-short-may-the-12th-be-with-you-premiering-may-10

MisterPenguin6 days ago

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/disney-kroger-reportedly-eyeing-streaming-video-partnership/ https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/rajamouli-baahubali-crown-of-blood-disney-hotstar-trailer-1235988392/

MisterPenguin14 days ago

https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/becoming-karl-lagerfeld-trailer-daniel-bruhl-disney-plus-1235980466/ https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/jim-henson-idea-man-trailer-disney-plus-ron-howard/