Disney+ Price Is Going Up In The US: Is The UK Next?

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Disney+, the popular streaming service from Disney, is raising its prices in the US, along with the newly introduced advert-supported tier – which is also set to launch in the UK at a later date.

The upcoming changes mean that US subscribers who wish to remain on the same tier they have now – without adverts – will pay $10.99/month or $109.99/year, instead of the current $7.99/month.

The new Disney+ ad-supported tier, which was announced earlier this year, will cost $7.99/month – the same price that Disney+ currently costs – but at that price, subscribers will now get adverts.

According to Disney, the ad-supported tier will include “a lower ad load and frequency”, for a better user experience.

Furthermore, there will be no adverts on kids’ profiles (or preschool), at least at the launch.

Disney Plus on tablet deals

So in practice, the new ad-based tier is not going to lower pricing for existing subscribers. Instead, those who don’t wish to see adverts, will have to pay $3 more each month.

These Disney+ pricing changes will come into effect in the US on December 8, 2022.

Earlier this year, however, it was announced that the ad-supported subscription will expand internationally in 2023 – which means a similar price increase may be coming to the UK as well.

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Grey’s Anatomy on Disney+ Star

Disney+ (see our full review) can be streamed on most streaming devices and Smart TVs in the UK, and includes content from the worlds of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star.

It’s interesting to note that Star, which is Disney’s general entertainment category for more mature audiences, doesn’t exist on the US version of Disney+.

This means UK subscribers are getting more content than their US counterparts (who currently get most of the more ‘mature’ content on the Hulu streaming service, which carries an additional subscription cost – which will ALSO be going up soon).

In the UK, Disney+ currently costs £7.99/month or Â£79.90/year – and you can subscribe directly via this link.

When Disney+ first launched in the UK, its cost was just £5.99/month (or £59.99/year), but it was raised along with the launch of Star, in 2021.

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Disney Plus (Photo: Deposit Photos / tbtb)

Looking ahead – and this is speculation territory at this point – if the ad-supported tier comes to the UK in a similar way, the with-ads tier may cost £7.99/month, while those who don’t want to see adverts, may have to jump up to £10.99/month.

During its earnings call, Disney+ said that they believe in the wealth of content they already offer, therefore “We have plenty of room in price value. We do not believe there will be a meaningful impact on our churn” [from raising prices].

Other major streaming services have already raised their prices in the UK this year: Netflix raised prices back in March, with the Basic Plan going up from £5.99/month to £6.99/month, the Standard plan going up £10.99/month, and the Premium plan up to £15.99/month.

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(Photo: Deposit Photos / Miglagoa)

Amazon also recently announced an upcoming price hike for Amazon Prime, which includes the Prime Video streaming service. It will go from £7.99 to £8.99 per month, and from £79 to £95 if you pay annually (but those who just want Prime Video, can still save).

Kareem Daniel, Chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said this about Disney Plus’ new ad-supported tier:

“With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience.

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