The Walt Disney Company (NASDAQ: DIS) announced that it will raise the prices of several of its streaming subscription services starting October 21, 2025. The price change impacts Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select, and bundle packages that combine these platforms.
For the standalone Disney+ service, there will be a $2 increase for the ad-supported monthly plan, bringing the price to $11.99, while the ad-free premium tier will rise by $3 to $18.99 monthly. This premium subscription will also see its annual fee jump by $30 to $189.99 per year. Hulu’s ad-supported plan will also increase by $2, matching the new $11.99 monthly rate for its ad-supported offering, whereas Hulu’s ad-free tier remains priced at $18.99. ESPN Select, a rebranded and more limited version of ESPN’s streaming service, will go up by $1, to $12.99 per month.
Notably, bundle packages that group these services will also reflect price adjustments. For example, the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle will rise from $10.99 to $12.99 monthly, and bundles including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN will increase by $3 to $29.99 per month. Even packages bundling Disney+ with Hulu and HBO Max will reflect similar increases. NFL+ subscriptions will retain their current pricing.
Disney’s price hikes are not unexpected but mark the fourth consecutive year of annual increases in October since Disney+ launched in 2019. The move follows a pattern across the streaming industry, where major services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube TV have raised prices recently, partly owing to rising content production costs and efforts to combat password sharing.
This adjustment comes amid a notably sensitive time for Disney. Just days before the price hike announcement, Disney faced public controversy regarding its handling of the late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its ABC network. The show was temporarily suspended following controversial remarks by Jimmy Kimmel regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This decision sparked significant backlash and calls for cancellation of Disney+ subscriptions among some viewers. The show returned to air last night, but the episode added a layer of public scrutiny to the company’s management decisions during a period of customer price changes.
Despite the backlash, Disney has not commented extensively on the price increases beyond formal customer notifications. For the quarter that ended in June, Disney reported a combined subscriber base of 183 million across Disney+ and Hulu worldwide, highlighting the scale and importance of its direct-to-consumer streaming business.
For customers, the upcoming increase means a higher monthly fee for popular streaming content from Disney. While many have grown accustomed to rising subscription costs to fund original productions and exclusive content, the timing and scale of the change will likely draw attention from both subscribers and industry watchers alike.
As competition in the streaming market intensifies and costs rise, price increases remain a tool used by media companies to balance subscriber growth with profitability. Disney’s October adjustment is part of a broader trend in the evolving streaming landscape in 2025.
