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Disney Plus joins Netflix in password sharing crackdown, hikes prices
- Disney Plus has hinted at an upcoming password and account sharing crackdown.
- Prices of Disney Plus plans are also going up.
- The service has introduced a new bundled subscription for Disney Plus Premium and Hulu without ads.
Disney Plus is the latest streaming service to join Netflix in its crusade against password sharing. Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at plans to restrict account sharing on Disney Plus starting in 2024.
“We’re actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family,” the executive said on Wednesday during the company’s earnings call. “Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies.”
Iger said that the new customer policy about account sharing will roll out next year. He didn’t offer any additional details about the password-sharing restrictions on Disney Plus. It’s unclear if the service will take the same approach as Netflix and deny account sharing based on location. We also don’t know if Disney Plus will introduce a paid sharing option like Netflix.
Disney Plus price hike
Apart from dropping the bomb on a possible password-sharing crackdown, Disney Plus also announced a price hike for its Premium plans. Starting October 12, Disney Plus Premium with no ads will go up from $10.99 to $13.99/month for US customers. Hulu plans without ads are also increasing and will now cost $17.99/month, up from $14.99/month.
However, US customers will have access to a new ad-free bundled subscription plan, starting September 6, featuring Disney Plus Premium and Hulu (no ads) for $19.99/month.
Meanwhile, the Disney Plus Hulu ad-supported tier will still cost $7.99 per month each and $9.99/month as a bundle.
Hulu Plus Live TV packages will also see a price hike beginning October 12. The plan with ads will go up to $76.99, while the no-ads plan will increase to $89.99. ESPN Plus pricing will rise from $9.99 to $10.99 per month.
Moreover, Disney Plus will expand its ad-supported tier to select markets across Europe and Canada beginning November 1. The service is also launching a new Standard tier and a Standard with ads plan in select EMEA markets and Canada. The new ad-supported plans start at £4.99/€5.99 month in EMEA and $7.99/month in Canada.