In America, Disney+ announces more price rises, with UK increases for the streaming service presumably not far behind.
One of the ways the Disney is looking to claw back some of the profits its used to enjoy of old is via an age-old trick: hike your prices. Patrons of Disney theme parks are very aware of this approach, and a year ago, the firm also jacked up the subscriber levees for its Disney+ streaming service.
12 months on from that, in the US at least, it’s doing so again. It feels like just a matter of time before a similar announcement affecting UK prices is issued.
For the minute, specific to Disney+ in America, the price of the streaming service with ads if going from a monthly charge of $7.99 to $9.99. Then, without ads, it’s now going to cost $15.99 rather than $13.99. The price rises have been announced to come into effect from 17th October in America. As others have pointed out, this is now more than double the price for the original ad-free tier than subscribers were paying when the service launched five years ago. An ongoing programme of annual increases is likely to test the loyalty of streaming service customer bases across the industry too, especially if every company continues its current round of price rises.
Disney does offer an assortment of bundles in the US with services such as Hulu and Max, that aren’t available in the UK. That means that a straight round of price rises along similar lines isn’t an absolute certainty, but it remains on the likely side. After all, the cost of doing business in the streaming sector isn’t getting cheaper, and sooner or later, the bill for all of that was going to be passed onto the end consumer.
Streaming subscriber numbers remain on the high side all round though. But the metaphorical bubble burst does feel just a tiny bit closer.
We’ll update you on the UK side of things as we hear it.
Related Stories
- The Bear season 3 review | Culinary delights with a side order of existential angst
Season 3 of Hulu’s extraordinarily popular kitchen series is back for another serving. Here’s our spoiler-free review of The Bear season 3.
There’s something endlessly captivating about the scrappiness of The Bear, Hulu’s kitchen drama starring Jeremy Allen White. The first season captured the stress of a working kitchen perfectly, reducing this writer into a sweaty, [...]
- Only Murders In The Building season 4 | Episode 4 review
In the fourth episode of Only Murders In The Building season 4, our trio hangs out with some of Sazz’s fellow stuntmen. Our review:
The pub is a British institution. The significance of going for a drink after work can’t be put into words; the pub isn’t just a place, it’s a way of life.
And that’s where [...]
- Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes | Disney sending the film to Disney+ August
Disney confirms Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes will be racing to Disney+ just three months after its cinema debut.
Released in cinemas at the start of May, Disney appears to be in something of a hurry to get Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes to its Disney+ streaming service. The Wes Ball-directed feature [...]
- Inside Out 2 | Disney confirms Disney+ debut for film this month
The box office smash Inside Out 2, from Disney and Pixar, is confirmed for Disney+ UK at the end of this very month.
Currently sitting as the biggest film of the year at the global box office, the record-shattering sequel Inside Out 2 has given Disney, Pixar and multiplexes one hell of a shot in the [...]
- Disney+ sends 7982 word email to customers, “simplifying the agreement by making it easier to read”
Disney+ is implementing its planned block on password sharing in the UK, and has sent a very long email to its subscribers about it.
Changes are afoot in the world of Disney+, with UK subscribers to the streaming services receiving an email over the last day or two explaining changes to their subscriber agreement. This is [...]
