Disney Plus to Raise Prices by $3 a Month as It Launches Tier with Ads

From CNET: Disney Plus will raise its US prices in December as it launches a new ad-supported tier of its streaming service, the company said Wednesday. Hulu prices are going up, too.

Currently in the US, Disney Plus' ad-free subscription is $8 a month. Starting Dec. 8, the ad-free subscription will go up $3 a month to $11. Simultaneously, the new ad-based membership will launch at $8 a month, the same price that Disney Plus subscribers are paying now to watch ad free. Annual memberships are also going up in price, though still offering a discount to monthly plans.

As for Hulu, currently the streaming service by itself costs $7 a month with ads and $13 a month ad-free. Starting Dec. 8, that will rise to $8 a month with ads and $15 a month without them. Disney's also adding a new $10-a-month bundled plan that combines Disney Plus and Hulu, both with ads, but without ESPN Plus. Disney has published tables detailing all the new rates.

Disney has been hinting for months that it could be raising prices later this year, with CEO Bob Chapek suggesting twice that the launch of the ad-free tier might coincide with some price hikes. December's increase will be the second for Disney Plus since it launched in late 2019. In March 2021, the service raised prices from $7 a month to its current $8 level.

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