Disney+ and Hulu hike prices again, leaving subscribers with higher monthly bills

### Disney Raises Disney+ and Hulu Prices as Streaming Costs Continue to Climb

The Walt Disney Company is raising subscription prices across Disney+ and Hulu, adding to a broader wave of streaming price increases as media companies focus on improving the profitability of their digital entertainment businesses.

The latest changes come roughly a year after Disney’s previous major pricing adjustment and affect both standalone subscriptions and bundled plans, according to Bloomberg.

Under the new pricing structure, the monthly cost of standalone ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans will rise from $18.99 to $21.49, representing an increase of about 13%.

The combined ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle will also become more expensive, increasing from $19.99 to $21.99 per month.

Subscribers using the ad-supported standalone plans will see a smaller increase. The monthly price will rise by 50 cents to $12.49.

However, the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle will remain unchanged at $12.99 per month, preserving one of the company’s lower-cost options for consumers willing to watch advertisements.

The latest increases reflect the continuing push among major entertainment companies to turn streaming services into more dependable sources of revenue after years of substantial spending on original programming, technology and subscriber acquisition.

Disney has reported stronger financial performance from its streaming operations in recent quarters. The company said its entertainment streaming business generated an 11% increase in quarterly revenue, reaching approximately $5.5 billion.

Disney executives have linked the improvement to subscriber growth as well as the cumulative impact of previous subscription price increases.

The latest hikes come amid what has increasingly been described as “streamflation,” as consumers face repeated increases from multiple streaming providers.

Disney is not alone in adjusting subscription prices. Other major streaming companies, including Apple TV and Peacock, have also raised prices, while Netflix implemented its own increases earlier this year.

The repeated adjustments are changing the economics of streaming for consumers who initially embraced online services as a lower-cost alternative to traditional cable television.

At the same time, Disney is exploring additional ways to expand its streaming audience and increase engagement beyond conventional subscription models.

The company has reportedly considered introducing a free, ad-supported version of Disney+, potentially placing the service in greater competition with free ad-supported streaming television platforms.

Disney has also introduced “Playlists,” a curated discovery feature designed to make it easier for subscribers to find and continuously watch selected programming.

The combination of higher subscription prices, advertising-supported plans and new discovery features reflects the broader evolution of the streaming business.

Media companies are increasingly balancing subscriber growth with revenue and profitability, while consumers are becoming more selective about the number of services they are willing to maintain.

For households subscribing to several platforms, the cumulative effect of repeated price increases could make monthly entertainment bills increasingly comparable to the costs of traditional television packages, changing one of the original economic advantages that helped drive the streaming revolution.