Disney+ Password-Sharing Crackdown and Price Hike Are Coming
Disney is preparing to hit Disney+ subscribers with a double whammy of bad news: the price of the streaming service is increasing and a password crackdown is coming.
As Variety reports, Disney+ Premium is set to increase in price from $10.99 to $13.99 per month from Oct. 12. That's a 27% price hike. It's a similar deal for Hulu subscribers, who will see their price rise from $14.99 to $17.99 per month (a 20% increase).
If you don't mind ads, both the Disney+ and Hulu ad-supported tiers are remaining at $7.99 per month, and the two bundled together (with ads) is staying at $9.99. A new bundle including Disney+ Premium and Hulu (No Ads) is being launched on Sept. 6 for $19.99 per month.
If you're someone who doesn't pay for Disney+, but still watches the content by sharing a password, your days of free viewing are numbered.
As The Wrap reports, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed during the company's third-quarter earnings call yesterday that a password crackdown is planned for 2024. On the call Iger said:
"We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family ... Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies. And we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024."
Iger went on to say that account sharing is already being monitored and "I'm not gonna give you a specific number except to say it’s significant."
Disney's decision to crackdown on password sharing has no doubt been guided by how it impacted Netflix subscribers numbers. There was no big exodus other than in Spain it seems, but the crackdown is ongoing. It seems likely Disney will follow a
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