In what seems to be an annual tradition, Disney announced that the costs for standalone plans of its video streaming services will get more expensive, starting on October 17.
The ad-supported Disney+ Basic plan will increase from $8 a month to $10, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan jumps from $14 a month or $140 annually to $16 a month or $160 annually. For Hulu, the plan with ads is changing from $8 a month or $80 a year to $10 a month or $100 a year and the ad-free plan will go from $18 a month to $20 a month. ESPN+ is getting pricing updates as well, with monthly costs going from $11 monthly or $110 annually to $12 monthly or $120 annually.
Recall that this service was a mere $7 a month, without ads, when it launched less than five years ago.
Only one combo plan seems to be getting a change. The Disney Bundle Duo Basic, which includes ad-supported access to both Disney+ and Hulu, is increasing from $10 a month to $11 a month. The Hulu + Live TV plans are also hiking costs: $83 a month for ad-supported, and $96 a month for ad-free.
The increased subscription costs were included in a feature announcement that had been rumored earlier this year. Disney+ will start offering viewers continuous playlists starting September 4. There will be two playlists to start: a channel for ABC News Live, and one with videos for preschoolers. Four more playlists will debut later in the fall: Seasonal Content, Epic Stories (featuring franchises like Marvel and Star Wars), Throwbacks (“nostalgic pop culture content”) and Real Life (biopics and documentaries).
Source: www.engadget.com