The Walt Disney Co. is increasing prices for its Disney Plus tiered bundles, but members can still find a deal with its ad-supported service.
Disney announced this week there will be a Disney Plus price hike for its bundles without ads, but kept prices for its basic plan with ads unchanged, at $7.99 a month, an option that builds advertisements into the viewer experience. Disney Plus without ads will cost $13.99 a month or $139.99 a year starting Oct. 12.
Other streaming services, including Peacock and Paramount Plus, also have streaming options that come at a discount if you opt for ads. And just like Peacock and Paramount Plus, you'll have to sit through a handful of commercials — roughly a minute or minute-and-a-half. There’s no fast-forwarding in these ad-supported streaming services.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Disney Plus bundle options with ads:
- Disney Bundle Duo Basic: Disney Plus (with ads), Hulu (with ads), $9.99/month
- Disney Bundle Trio Basic: Disney Plus (with ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN Plus (with ads), $14.99/month
- Trio Basic: Hulu (with ads), plus access to Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN+ (with ads), 14.99/month
- Trio Premium, Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (no adds) and ESPN+ (with adds), $24.99/month
The streaming options with ads was launched in December 2022.
“With these new ad-supported offerings, we’re able to deliver greater flexibility for consumers to enjoy the full breadth and depth of incredible storytelling from The Walt Disney Company,” Michael Paull, president of Direct to Consumer at Disney, said at the time.
Disney Plus Basic and other ad-supported bundle subscribers will have access to the same movies, series, documentaries and more under the Disney flag, including Disney classics and current films, as well as the Marvel and Star Wars universes. That includes the award-winning Abbot Elementary, made-for-Disney Plus Star Wars series The Mandalorian (think Baby Yoda/Grogu) and Andor, and originals like The Old Man and Only Murders in the Building.
Disney’s move came at a time when it was seeing a stock slump and disappointing earnings and a shakeup at the top. This could be an elixir, some analysts said in December.
“Disney Plus' ad-supported tier is going to be a game changer for its subscriber and revenue growth, and considering Disney's slumping average-revenue-per-user growth and increasing DTC operating losses, its launch can't come soon enough," wrote Third Bridge analyst Jamie Lumley. "Disney is in a better position than Netflix from an operational perspective because they already have a lot of advertisement technology and infrastructure in place through Hulu and ABC network channels."
Other streamers have also been making important moves to build customer bases and seek revenue. As we reported last December, HBO Max returned to Amazon Prime Video’s third-party streaming channels. Last summer, Warner Bros. Discovery slashed subscription prices on HBO Max.
-
AI Is Missing the Wisdom of Older Adults: What It Means for YouAI will increasingly affect your healthcare and finances, but young workers are primarily designing the systems and getting most of the jobs.
-
The Three C's to Financial Success: A Financial Planner's Guide to Build WealthConsistency, commitment and confidence in your chosen strategy are more critical to your financial success than finding the 'perfect' financial plan.
-
Mint Mobile Is Offering $440 Off Samsung and Google Phones Plus Half Off Unlimited Plans for Two YearsReady to upgrade your phone? If you switch to Mint Mobile, you can get $440 off that upgrade and lock in two years of ultra low prices on your phone plan.
-
CVS Is Closing More Stores in 2025: What It Means for YouAs CVS Health continues its restructuring plan, additional store closures raise questions about access to pharmacy services and the future of retail healthcare.
-
Walmart Raising Prices Soon — Here’s Which Products Will Cost You More This SummerIf you heard about Walmart raising prices, here are the key details you need to know ahead of your next shopping trip.
-
How to Save $50 on a Sam’s Club MembershipThis Sam’s Club membership deal from Stack Social saves you up to $50 and gets you a full year of access to the warehouse club.
-
Ford Sticker Shock: Tariffs Trigger Price Hikes on Popular ModelsWhy Ford is raising prices on three of its popular models and what it means for car buyers.
-
Sugar Rush: Kentucky Boy Orders $4,000 in Lollipops from Mom's PhoneA Kentucky mom was surprised to find her son ordered 70,000 lollipops from Amazon. Here's how to ensure a similar oopsie doesn't happen to you.
-
14 Mother’s Day Gifts That Are a Boost to Her Bank AccountThese Mother’s Day gifts show your appreciation and save her money at the same time.
-
Walmart Scan & Go: Does It Really Save Time?Is Walmart’s Scan & Go really faster? Learn how this Walmart+ feature works, its pros and cons, and whether it actually saves you time and hassle at checkout.
