Subscription Rates for Disney+ Increase Imminently

Increase in Disney+ Subscription Fees Announced for Users

In a move to keep its subscribers from migrating to other streaming services, Disney has announced a price increase for its popular streaming platform, Disney+. The change will see the monthly subscription cost rise from $7 to $8, effective from March 26, 2021.

The announcement was made at Disney's investor's day presentation on Thursday. This increase comes during a year where most streaming services have seen growth due to the pandemic keeping people at home more.

Disney+, which launched in November 2019, has amassed over 86 million subscribers worldwide, surpassing executives' expectations at the time of its launch. This growth has been faster than that of Netflix, which took the better part of a decade to reach 86 million subscribers after pivoting to streaming.

To set itself apart from the million and one other streaming options available, Disney is planning to invest the additional revenue from the price increase in new content, specifically in Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars shows and movies. This strategy is aimed at keeping subscribers engaged and preventing them from leaving to other platforms.

The price increase for Disney+ in the U.S. will also affect Disney's package deal with ad-supported Hulu and ESPN+, which will rise from $13 to $14 a month.

However, it's not clear yet if subscribers in other countries can expect future price hikes for Disney+ or the Disney Bundle. International price changes may occur later as streaming services sometimes adjust prices regionally over time.

Disney+ showcased a variety of new content scheduled to be available on the streaming service, including dozens of new shows and movies from Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. This content is expected to keep current subscribers engaged and attract new ones.

Despite the price hike, Disney+ continues to offer competitive pricing compared to other streaming services, making it an attractive option for families and fans of Disney's vast library of content.