The cost of a Disney+ subscription is set to go up in the UK (and other countries) on February 23, 2021 – less than a year after its UK launch. Despite the rise, Disney+ will still be one of the cheapest streaming services.
Disney+, the streaming service from Disney, launched in the US back in November 2019, and then in the UK in March 2020. It features content from the worlds of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic
Disney+ is a major competitor to Netflix and Prime Video (see our full Disney+ UK review), and according to Disney, it managed to get 86.8 million subscribers around the world, since its initial launch.
For now, Disney+ costs £5.99/month or £59.99 for a full year in the UK. From February, however, the new cost will be £7.99/month or £79/year.
- Check our guide on what happens to Existing Disney+ Subscribers
The news regarding the price increase came yesterday during Disney’s “Investor Day” presentation, where it was also announced that a new streaming category aimed at more mature audiences, “Star”, will join Disney+ in the UK (and more countries) on the day of the price increase.
The price increase is attributed both to the inclusion of thousands of new hours of content via Star, as well as Disney producing more original content for Disney+, including:
- 10 Star Wars series
- 10 Marvel series
- 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar series
- 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar films
This year, Disney also shut down “The Disney Channel” which operated for many years on Sky and Virgin Media, and moved most of its content to Disney+.
Disney+ Pricing VS. The Competition
When Disney+ first launched, its price point was quite aggressive at £5.99/month, less than most of the other big streaming services (and it also offered a free trial, which has been removed since).
Even at the new £7.99 price point, which is coming in February, you get a good deal when compared to some of the competitors.
One of Disney+’ selling points – and downsides, at the same time – was that it was very family-friendly, with very little “mature” content. This will be resolved with the launch of Star.
Netflix, which recently raised its prices in the UK as well, is now one of the most expensive streaming services – at least on its premium tiers.
Netflix’ Basic Plan, which only gives you SD content, costs £5.99/month, The Standard Plan (with HD content and 2 screens at the same time) is £9.99/month, and The Premium Plan (With 4K content and 4 screens) is £13.99/month.
Amazon Prime Video costs £5.99/month (or £79/year if you get the full Amazon Prime membership), and includes 4K streaming, so it will now be cheaper than Disney+ (on the month-to-month basis).
Apple TV+ costs £4.99/month, and is available for free for those who purchase a new Apple device. While it’s the cheapest big-name streaming service, its library of content is smaller, at least for now, than what the others offer.
NOW TV, on the other hand, has separate plans for films, TV shows, kids content and sports. At £9.99/month for the TV package, £11.99/month for the Cinema package and £3.99/month for the kids’ package– it’s by far the most expensive UK streaming service when you combine the three.
Plus, not only does NOW TV not offer any 4K content – you also need to pay an extra £3/month for Full HD (1080p).
Remember that until February, you can still subscribe to Disney+ at the old price – so the yearly package will end up saving you some money, if you intended to keep your subscription anyway.