Some good news and bad. The good: Disney+ is adding an ad-supported alternative for those who can’t afford to pay a steep monthly fee for regular access to Million Dollar Duck (and, for the records, lots of good movies). The bad: Those with regular subscriptions might have to think about downgrading. Oh, and there’s more bad news: The same goes for Hulu and ESPN+.
As per Variety, Disney, which owns all three aforementioned streamers, has unveiled that Disney+ Basic, the name for said ad-heavy version, will arrive on Dec. 8. This iteration will include a combined four minutes of ads spread throughout each hour. The price will be a low-low $7.99 — which happens to be the current price of the regular Disney+, which will soon be rechristened Disney+ Premium. That service will jump a whopping 38%, or $10.99 — a steep price so you can watch Mr. Boogedy in peace.
But there’s more! As of Oct. 10, the price of Hulu with ads will rise a relatively puny dollar, from $6.99 a month to $7.99. And then there’s ESPN+, which this month will leap from $6.99 a month to $9.99. Even one of the bundles is increasing. The Disney Bundle, aka Disney+ Premium, Hulu with ads, and ESPN+, will rise a buck, from $13.99 to $14.99. The version that features Hulu without ads will stay at $19.99.
Disney+ isn’t the only streamer making the leap to ad-supported versions to attract more customers. The foundering Netflix is doing the same, due in part to a combination of fleeing subscribers and movies they probably shouldn’t spent all the money in the world on.
(Via Variety)