ESPN+ Bumping up $3 a month

[Yespage]

link

The Disney-backed streaming-video sports service intends to raise its monthly subscription fee by $3 a month—a 43% price hike that outstrips even the current rate of inflation—and it is doing so at a time when big media companies find the prospect of monetizing new streaming efforts to be significantly more challenging, Variety reports.

Prepare for the online wailing. On one hand, it is just $36 more a month. On the other, it is a 43% increase. However you cut it, ESPN+ is getting more expensive. ESPN has been gobbling up sports rights again, and this is now showing up on their price. Currently, the Disney bundle (Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+) is not going to be impacted.

For cord cutting sports fans ESPN+ is still arguably a good deal, though lack of access to ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNnews can be a bother. For those that haven't cut the cord, the price continues to grow, but at least there is a bit more content than there was, with NHL Center Ice being on ESPN+.

 

[ncted]

With the next round of price increases coming, I am trying to determine what to cancel. Disney+ is probably the top of my list. Sadly, my annual plan just renewed.

 

[zippyfrog]

22 million subscribers x $36 a year is $792 million extra per year. Granted, a lot are on the bundle, so maybe it is $500 million per year. But when you look at what they are bidding on for sports rights, it hast to come from somewhere, and they can't perpetually increase cable/satellite rates that much every year.

 

[mwdxer1]

With the next round of price increases coming, I am trying to determine what to cancel. Disney+ is probably the top of my list. Sadly, my annual plan just renewed.

I picked up Disney+ for the 3 year deal and my renewal is due in November. Disney+ has been a disappointment to me. We got the promise that all of the Disney vault would be released, except things like Song of the South, etc, but everything else. I gladly picked it up thinking we were finally going to see the material from the 50s/60s/70s, The Wonderful World of Disney, but little has been released, other than one week of the Micky Mouse Club, Spin and Marty, Sammy, the Way Out Seal, and another here and there. If more is not released by November, I am not renewing. I will monitor the service to see "if" they start to release more. If they do, I will gladly pick it up.

 

[Juan]

link


Prepare for the online wailing. On one hand, it is just $36 more a month. On the other, it is a 43% increase. However you cut it, ESPN+ is getting more expensive. ESPN has been gobbling up sports rights again, and this is now showing up on their price. Currently, the Disney bundle (Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+) is not going to be impacted.

For cord cutting sports fans ESPN+ is still arguably a good deal, though lack of access to ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNnews can be a bother. For those that haven't cut the cord, the price continues to grow, but at least there is a bit more content than there was, with NHL Center Ice being on ESPN+.

Depends if you are into on demand hot dog eating contests

 

[Mr Tony]

Whew I'll get my renewal at the current rate since it renews on August 4th

 

[Mr Tony]

For cord cutting sports fans ESPN+ is still arguably a good deal, though lack of access to ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNnews can be a bother. For those that haven't cut the cord, the price continues to grow, but at least there is a bit more content than there was, with NHL Center Ice being on ESPN+.

I agree. Lots of good stuff on ESPN+. The hockey is worth it alone. But $3 a month is kinda steep. But I guess if you get it for one reason (as an example I use to sub just for North Dakota State football games) its not too bad.

 

[NashGuy]

I picked up Disney+ for the 3 year deal and my renewal is due in November. Disney+ has been a disappointment to me. We got the promise that all of the Disney vault would be released, except things like Song of the South, etc, but everything else. I gladly picked it up thinking we were finally going to see the material from the 50s/60s/70s, The Wonderful World of Disney, but little has been released, other than one week of the Micky Mouse Club, Spin and Marty, Sammy, the Way Out Seal, and another here and there. If more is not released by November, I am not renewing. I will monitor the service to see "if" they start to release more. If they do, I will gladly pick it up.

I'm still betting that, before all of y'all on that special pre-launch 3-year promo deal see it expire in mid-November, they revamp Disney+ by introducing the ad-supported version and they only sell Disney+ and Hulu together as a pair going forward, likely pricing them together at $9.99/mo (both with ads) and $15.99/mo (both ad-free). And then you'll have the option of also adding ESPN+ for however much more, maybe an extra $5/mo on top of that.

This will be their interim move for a year or two before they buy out Comcast's remaining 1/3 stake in Hulu so that the can then fully integrate it into Disney+ and shut down the separate Hulu app.

 

[Bruce]

I'm still betting that, before all of y'all on that special pre-launch 3-year promo deal see it expire in mid-November, they revamp Disney+ by introducing the ad-supported version and they only sell Disney+ and Hulu together as a pair going forward, likely pricing them together at $9.99/mo (both with ads) and $15.99/mo (both ad-free). And then you'll have the option of also adding ESPN+ for however much more, maybe an extra $5/mo on top of that.

This will be their interim move for a year or two before they buy out Comcast's remaining 1/3 stake in Hulu so that the can then fully integrate it into Disney+ and shut down the separate Hulu app.

I moved to the Hulu bundle, the site said it would give me credit for my remaining months from my 3 year deal, it did, at $7.99 a month until November, so I am paying $12.99 until then for all three ( of course Hulu Commercial Free).

Fine by me.

 

[DS0816]

I'm still betting that, before all of y'all on that special pre-launch 3-year promo deal see it expire in mid-November, they revamp Disney+ by introducing the ad-supported version and they only sell Disney+ and Hulu together as a pair going forward, likely pricing them together at $9.99/mo (both with ads) and $15.99/mo (both ad-free). And then you'll have the option of also adding ESPN+ for however much more, maybe an extra $5/mo on top of that.

This will be their interim move for a year or two before they buy out Comcast's remaining 1/3 stake in Hulu so that the can then fully integrate it into Disney+ and shut down the separate Hulu app.

I am on Ad-Free Hulu and Disney+ for a combined $15.98.

This happened last week. I was checking on my account status and noticed, if interested, I could add Disney+ to my established service of Hulu (No Ads) for an extra $2.99. So, $12.99 (Hulu with No Ads) + $2.99 (Disney+) = $15.98.

I think you have a good sense of this. If Hulu + Live TV were to improve—it is missing some programming which are a deal-breaker to me—that would also be enticing.

 

[NashGuy]

I am on Ad-Free Hulu and Disney+ for a combined $15.98.

This happened last week. I was checking on my account status and noticed, if interested, I could add Disney+ to my established service of Hulu (No Ads) for an extra $2.99. So, $12.99 (Hulu with No Ads) + $2.99 (Disney+) = $15.98.

I think you have a good sense of this. If Hulu + Live TV were to improve—it is missing some programming which are a deal-breaker to me—that would also be enticing.

Yup. They've been sending out emails to Hulu standalone subscribers for a few months now with the offer to add Disney+ for an extra $2.99/mo. Which is one reason why I'm predicting that they'll soon only sell Hulu and Disney+ paired together that way (for new subs -- they won't kick existing subs off a standalone Hulu or Disney+ plan).

Those two price points -- about $10 and $16 -- make a lot of sense when compared to the pricing for their two main rivals, Netflix and HBO Max. Netflix's entry-level plan is $10/mo and their most popular plan is $15.49/mo. Meanwhile, HBO Max's two plans are $10/mo (with ads) and $15/mo (ad-free). So a Disney+ Hulu combo priced at $10 with ads and $16 ad-free puts them right in line with the competition.