Streaming costs are on the climb again
If your monthly budget feels tighter lately, your streaming habits might be why. Disney is the latest major player to bump up the cost of its streaming services, marking yet another price increase just a year after their last hike. If you are subscribed to the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle, you will now be paying $21.99 a month, up from the previous $19.99.
Standalone, ad-free plans for both Disney+ and Hulu have jumped to $21.49 per month, while the ad-supported tiers are rising to $12.49. This is a massive shift from when Disney+ first hit the scene in 2019 at just $6.99 a month. The company is leaning hard into these price hikes as it works to make its streaming arm a consistently profitable part of the business.
A wider industry trend
Disney definitely isn't doing this alone. Streaming companies across the board have been steadily raising rates for years to boost their bottom lines. Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV have all bumped up their prices throughout 2026, leaving subscribers to navigate an increasingly expensive landscape.
Even with these price increases, Disney is looking at other ways to keep viewers hooked. The company is experimenting with new features like "Playlists" to help users find content and is reportedly exploring a potential free, ad-supported tier to better compete with platforms like YouTube and Tubi. They are also shaking up their leadership, recently bringing on Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of Character.AI, as their first-ever chief technology officer.
Why it matters
As streaming giants prioritize profit over growth, the era of dirt-cheap entertainment is fading, forcing users to be much more selective about which subscriptions they actually keep.
