Hulu raises subscription price, Disney+ to follow soon
Disney announced earlier this year that subscription fees for its streaming services - Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ - would all rise at some point this year. Disney+ and its streaming bundles will rise next - here's what to know.
(NEXSTAR) — If you haven't noticed already, Hulu subscription costs have risen, effective Monday, Oct. 10, following an August announcement from parent company Disney that price hikes were coming before the end of the year.
Following Hulu and ESPN+, which saw a price hike in August, Disney+ subscription plans will become more expensive in less than two months.
These price increases follow other streaming and subscription-based services that have been raising their costs throughout the year.
Disney executives previously announced their subscription bump as the company prepares to roll out an ad-supported Disney+ plan that it unveiled earlier this year. The ad-supported plan will be available starting on Dec. 8, the same day the prices of other Disney streaming platforms will increase.
According to an August release, Disney+ with ads will cost $7.99 a month, the current monthly price of the standard no-ad Disney+ plan. If you prefer your Disney+ without ads, that plan will cost $10.99 a month starting in early December, or $109.99 annually.
On Dec. 8, Disney+ and Hulu bundle plans will also see a price hike. Here's how they'll change:
| Plan | New Price (monthly) |
| Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) | $9.99 |
| Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (with ads) | $12.99 |
| Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN+ (with ads) (existing customers) | $14.99 |
| Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (no ads), and ESPN+ (with ads) | $19.99 |
| Disney+, Hulu (with live TV), ESPN+ (all with ads) | $69.99 |
| Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads and live TV), and ESPN+ (with ads) (existing customers) | $74.99 |
| Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with live TV and no ads), and ESPN+ (with ads) | $82.99 |
Disney hasn’t announced if the cost for student discounted plans will change.
Following its August price increase, ESPN+ now costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 annually for the plan with ads, $74.99 per event for UFC PPV, and $124.98 annually for the PPV package.
Hulu now costs $7.99 a month or $79.99 annually with ads, and $14.99 a month without ads.
This isn’t the first price hike we’ve seen to streaming services this year. In February, Amazon Prime’s annual cost jumped, impacting streaming through its platform. Netflix raised its monthly costs in January, with prices rising by about $1 to $2, depending on the plan.
Netflix will add a lower-priced, ad-supported plan soon but an official date hasn’t yet been announced. Disney+ was largely the last ad-free platform – in addition to ESPN+ and Hulu, Peacock already offered an ad-supported plan. While Apple’s streaming service is ad-free, it does have promotions for its own content.
Subscription price hikes aren't limited to streaming services, either. Next week, Sam's Club will raise its membership fee for the first time in nearly a decade. In March, Costco CFO Richard Galanti discussed the possibility of a membership hike in the near future, “especially in light of companies like Amazon and Netflix raising their fees.”