Disney Plus and Hulu price increases are coming

Disney revealed Wednesday that the subscription price for Disney Plus and Hulu will increase, but only if subscribers choose to subscribe to these streaming services without ads. Disney announced Wednesday that viewers who choose to bundle these two streaming services will not be affected by the price hike. This is because a new package option allows them to combine Disney Plus with Hulu without ESPN Plus.

Disney Plus will increase its monthly cost from $10.99 to $13.99 starting October 12. Hulu’s ad free subscription is also getting a $3 increase, going from $14.99 to $17.99.

If you’re already subscribing to both streaming services, you’re probably better off switching to Disney’s “Duo Premium” bundle, which will include ad-free versions of Disney Plus and Hulu for $19.99 per month. The option will be available on September 6.

There’s no change to the monthly plans for Disney Plus and Hulu with ads, however. These will remain at $7.99 each per month. Prices will go up for other bundles including Disney Plus and Hulu.

Given the number of services, bundles, and with/without ads options, Disney’s streaming subscription options just got considerably more confusing. Here’s Disney’s breakdown of the incoming price changes and bundle options:

* Effective as of Oct. 12
The is available from Sept. 6.

Disney Plus will launch in November 2019, at a cost of $6.99 per monthly. This doubles the price of the subscription since October. Disney Plus’ catalog has increased dramatically since that time, as have the TV and film shows. Secret Invasion doesn’t come free. It’s not free.

Netflix’s standard plan, sans ads, is $15.49 per month. Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, formerly HBO Max, costs $15.99 per month. Disney Plus remains the most affordable option, although its subscription costs are gradually creeping upwards to catch up with those of competitors.

Disney, it is reported, will follow the lead of its rivals in 2024 and crackdown on password sharing. According to a report from The Wrap, Disney CEO Bob Iger said Wednesday during an investor call that the company is “actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family. Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies, and we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024.”