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Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ get new pricing schemes this fall

Phil Nickinson
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Disney+ — and along with it, fellow Disney-owned streaming services Hulu and ESPN+ — have never had the simplest of pricing schemes. And this fall they’re going to get a little more complex — and more expensive. And more countries are getting more options.

First up: Canada and some European nations will get the ad-supported option for Disney+ starting November 1, 2023. It’ll run $8 in the former, and 5 pounds or 6 euros in the latter. Current subscribers will stay in the ad-free plan unless they actively decide to switch.

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That’s the simplest of the changes and additions. In the U.S., things are getting more complicated, with additional options and a number of pricing changes across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — and with all three as the Disney Bundle.

Disney+ on a TV.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

“The strong momentum of our ad-supported plans in the U.S. demonstrates the importance of providing consumers with choice, flexibility and value,” Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, said in a press release. “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.”

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Here’s the breakdown across the board:

Disney+ pricing

  • With ads: unchanged at $8 a month
  • Without ads: $14 a month, or $140 a year, effective October 12

Hulu pricing

  • With ads: unchanged at $8 a month, or $80 a year
  • Without ads: $18 a month, with no annual option, effective October 12
  • Hulu With Live TV: $77 a month with ads on the on-demand content, $90 a month without ads
  • Disney+ (without advertising) add-on costs $2 a month
  • ESPN+ add-on costs $11 a month

ESPN+ pricing

  • Now $11 a month or $110 a year, effective October 12
  • UFC pay-per-view standalone unchanged at $80 per event
  • Single UFC PPV event plus an annual ESPN+ subscription is $135, effective October 12

Disney Bundle pricing

  • Disney Bundle Duo Premium, which includes Disney+ and Hulu without ads for $20 a month
  • Disney Bundle Duo Basic, which includes Disney+ and Hulu (both with ads) for $10 per month
  • Disney Bundle Trio Basic with sports, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (all with ads) for $15 per month
  • Disney Bundle Trio Premium with Disney+, Hulu (both with no ads), and ESPN+ (with ads) for $25 per month

On the subscriber numbers side of the ledger, Disney+ now stands at 46 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, down about 300,000 from the previous quarter. It has just shy of 106 million worldwide. ESPN+ now stands at 25.2 million subscribers, down about 100,000 from the previous quarter. And Hulu has 44 million subscribers of its on-demand service — up about 300,000 — and 4.3 million subs of Hulu With Live TV.

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Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
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