The Disney+ Price Increase Isn't Sitting Well With Subscribers

Subscribers will have to pay a little bit more if they want to keep Disney+ without ads. The Walt Disney Company held its 3Q 2022 earnings call on Wednesday afternoon, where it unveiled Disney+ Basic and Disney+ Premium tiers. The Disney+ Basic tier (including ads) will run $7.99 per month with no option for an annual subscription and the Disney+ Premium tier (without ads) will be increasing to $10.99 a month and $109.99 annually, an increase of three dollars a month for monthly subscribers and $40 for annual subscribers (and a leap of 37% for both). Naturally, users are debating the merits of the price hike and whether they will want to continue paying for Disney+ or not on social media.

"With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio," Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement. "We will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience."

The idea behind an ad-supported tier is it would allow Disney+ to increase its subscriber base. In a previous statement, Daniel said: " "Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone – consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers." However, one has to question if raising the price for the version of Disney+ with ads is this really offering a subscription "at a lower price point"?

The overall reaction on social media appears mixed. While some Disney fans don't mind the price increase, others are contemplating if keeping their subscriptions is the best use of their funds considering the United States is on the verge of a recession.