The price of streaming is rising yet again. According to a report from Variety, Disney is raising prices on Hulu’s streaming packages next month. This is likely a move by Disney to push customers to opt for their Disney Bundle instead, which includes Hulu and more.
Starting today, Hulu is notifying its customers that the prices of their on-demand plans will be rising by a dollar on October 8. This includes new and current subscribers. The cheapest plan from Hulu with ads will increase from $5.99 to $6.99 per month, and the ad-less plan will increase from $11.99 to $12.99 per month. The only plans not affected by this price hike are the Hulu + Live TV plans or plans that are purchased as part of the Disney Bundle.
With Disney raising Hulu prices, it makes their Disney Bundle much more attractive for consumers. Currently, in the United States, the Disney Bundle is $13.99 per month and includes Hulu with ads, Disney+, and ESPN+.
On an earnings call last month, Disney CEO Bob Chapek stated that a “good chunk of our marketing is going toward the bundle.” He further explained, “while we enjoy extremely low churn rates on our individual services, the churn rates on the bundle are even lower — surprisingly low even for us.” For many Hulu customers, this may be the first time they have encountered increasing Hulu prices. The plan with no ads has not had a price hike since it was originally introduced back in 2015. Similarly, those on the plan with ads saw the price reduced by 2 dollars a month back in 2019.
The reason many streaming customers choose Hulu is for their next-day access to current, major broadcast networks and their TV shows. Shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, each variation of The Bachelor, This Is Us, and more all stream the next day on Hulu. With Hulu prices rising, customers may choose to watch these shows differently.
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