Disney Plus is launching an ad-supported tier in December and increasing cost

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Your current Disney+ plan is about to get more expensive.

Disney+ logo
(Image credit: Walt Disney Company)

The Walt Disney Company launched Disney+, its own highly anticipated streaming service, around the end of 2019 for $7.99 with no ads. However, starting Dec. 8, the cost of Disney+ with no ads is rising 30% to $10.99 a month. Disney is also introducing an ad-supported tier of the streaming service at the current $7.99 price point. There will still be a Disney Bundle with Disney+, Hulu+, and ESPN+, though the price for the bundle is also increasing.

Full price changes for Disney streaming services

Since Disney includes Hulu and ESPN streaming services, as well as various bundles, the prices can get a little confusing. Pretty much everything is increasing across the board, and here is a full breakdown of what to expect.

Disney+

  • Basic (with ads): $7.99/mo
  • Premium (no ads): $10.99/mo, $109.99/year

Hulu

  • Basic (with ads): $7.99/mo, $79.99/year (as of Oct. 10, 2022)
  • Premium (no ads): $14.99/mo (as of Oct. 10, 2022)

ESPN+

  • With ads: $9.99/mo, $99.99/year (as of Aug. 23, 2022)
  • UFC PPV: $74.99 per event (as of Aug. 23, 2022)
  • UFC PPV + Annual: $124.98/year (as of Aug. 23, 2022)

Disney Bundle plans

  • Basic Disney+, Hulu (with ads): $9.99/mo
  • Basic Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ (with ads): $12.99/mo
  • Legacy Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $14.99/mo
  • Premium Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (no ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $19.99/mo

Hulu + Live TV plans

  • Hulu + Live TV Basic (with ads), Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+: $69.99/mo
  • Legacy Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $74.99/mo
  • Premium Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (no ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $82.99/mo

Please note that these prices are for existing subscribers, which is over 103 million as of May 2022.

No ads for kids!

Those who want to keep the current $7.99 price for Disney+ will have to put up with ads on the service. According to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, the ad tier will have a “lower ad load and frequency to ensure a great experience for viewers.” With earlier reports from the year, Disney intends to keep the ad breaks to just four minutes per hour, which is less than 1%.

Those who are worried about kids seeing ads during their programming also don’t have to worry, as no ads will run on kids' profiles. Don’t think that this is a total workaround for not getting ads, however. Disney+ kid profiles will only be able to view content that is rated G, TV-Y, TV-Y7/Y7-FV, or TV-G. So if you were trying to catch something like Deadpool on Disney+, you’re not going to be able to see that on a kids' profile type.

Disney+ is home to most original Disney content, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox. Hit series like WandaVision, Loki, Ms. Marvel, The Mandalorian, the upcoming Andor, and more can only be found on Disney+. Plus, if you’re a Disney Parks aficionado, you’ll get a kick out of several documentary series including: Behind the Attraction and The Imagineering Story.

If you want one of the best iPhone streaming services available, then Disney+ is well worth it, even with the price increase.

Christine Chan
Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.