Another Streamer Raising Its Prices, Users Leaving In Droves
Streaming Disney+ and Hulu is about to get much more expensive on October 12. Hulu’s price will be raised to $17.99 per month, while Disney+ will be $13.99 per month. While the prices rise, the audience may diminish.
Beginning October 12, Hulu monthly prices will increase by $3.
Currently, Hulu costs $14.99 monthly, and Disney+ runs $10.99 monthly. The discounted ad versions of both remain, with prices being unchanged. A budgeted ad-free bundle of both platforms for $19.99 will start on September 6.
The price increase was stated during a quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, according to ComicBook.com. As Bob Iger stated during the call, his tactics seem like other streaming platforms. Chief among those concerns was reflecting the value and cracking down on password sharing.
Customers are not taking this news well. Several Hulu subscribers made posts on X (Twitter) about how shocked they were with this move. Many of them are seeking to cancel their subscriptions soon.
The reasons for some canceling Hulu span from only having one good show to not having enough good shows to having no good shows.
X user @withlove_paige_ stated, “i swear im about to cancel everything….hulu, disney, nexflix & prime.” @sprklesth3human also voiced their bitterness of leaving behind a favorite show, stating, “Time to cancel Hulu. Sorry The Bear. We hardly knew ye.”
@amandagails enjoyed Hulu’s comedy series Only Murders In The Building but couldn’t rationalize hanging onto the service. She would state, “reminder to self: cancel hulu after new season of only murders in the building.”
Many more voices on social media (specifically X) stated similar sentiments. The reasons for canceling Hulu span from only having one good show to not having enough good shows to having no good shows.
Hulu’s streaming platform hosts movie and TV shows mostly from Disney’s branch of 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Studios. This includes many shows from Fox (The Simpsons, Family Guy) and FX (What We Do In The Shadows, Archer). Exclusive shows on the platform include new seasons of Futurama and the acclaimed dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale.
A Growing Trend For Streaming
The decision by the Walt Disney Company echoes what several streaming services have been doing. Netflix, Paramount+, and Max have all been seeking more money by raising prices and removing their exclusives. They’ve also received similar backlash from customers.
Disney’s tactic here might be hoping that more people will switch to the ad-supported tier or go for the bundle. After all, if you’re paying $17.99 for Hulu, why not spend two more dollars to get Disney+ thrown in as well? Or, if money is tight and you still haven’t binged everything, the $7.99 ad-supported tier will save you $10 a month.
With customers favoring the cancelation of their Hulu subscriptions, where will they go next? They might find few cheaper choices if they seek out other streaming platforms. Max costs $20 per month and Netflix costs $15.49 per month.
Several users may hang onto certain platforms simply because there’s nowhere else to go for what Disney+ and Hulu offer. Shows like The Mandalorian don’t have a physical release and will likely never grace Netflix. This may be a case where users pay for one month to binge one show once a year if there is anything they want to watch.
So, if that’s your plan, keep October 12 in mind, as that’s the date the price hikes will go into effect. We’ll have to wait and see how many users jump ship by Fall to know the full effect of this price increase.
