We’re no corporate titans, but we think there were probably better times than Tuesday for Disney to announce it was hiking the price of its subscription streaming service and bundles.
Obviously, the Jimmy Kimmel controversy and the way the media giant handled it are top of mind, even as Kimmel makes his return to ABC Tuesday night. It’s unclear how financially impacted Disney was, but a call to boycott Disney products and cancel subscriptions to the company’s streaming services went viral, and thousands of anecdotal reports emerged of people canceling their plans and refusing to support Disney until they reinstated Kimmel. Shares of Disney stock also experienced a 0.67% decline (which would be an estimated $3.87 billion loss to the company’s market value).
Regardless, Disney pressed forward with its plans on Tuesday, and they include increases to several ESPN Select bundle prices.
Starting October 21, Disney+’s plan with ads will increase $2 to $11.99, while its ad-free tier will increase $3 to $18.99. Hulu will increase prices that same day, with the Disney-owned streamer’s ad tier rising $2 to $11.99.
ESPN Select, formerly known as ESPN+, will increase by one dollar to $12.99. Several bundles involving ESPN Select will also increase in price. The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle bundle with ads will rise from $16.99 to $19.99 per month, the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium with no ads will increase from $26.99 to $29.99 per month, and the Disney+ Premium, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Legacy plan will increase from $21.99 to $24.99 per month.
ESPN Unlimited, which costs $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year, and bundles including it, will not see a monthly price increase at this time. The company is still in the process of educating consumers about its new service, which launched in August.
It’s pretty typical for Disney to implement price hikes in October, and this is the third consecutive year they’ve done so. They just probably could have waited a week to let the bad vibes subside.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.