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Commercial-free Hulu and Disney+ plans will cost more on Oct. 12, but a new ad-free bundle offers significant savings. Find out how much Duo Premium costs.
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Streaming apps are popular. A 2023 Leichtman Research Group, Inc. study found that 83% of all U.S. households have a subscription video-on-demand service from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu. The same study found that 88% of U.S. households use at least one streaming service of some kind, even if it’s not one of the three mentioned above.
Over the years, many streaming services have increased in price. What used to be an affordable entertainment solution may no longer be the case for some Americans. The Walt Disney Company recently announced price changes that will impact some users who subscribe to Hulu and Disney+.
Prepare to pay more for ad-free Hulu and Disney+ content
For the most part, the upcoming pricing changes will impact ad-free plans. Hulu’s ad-free plan costs $14.99 per month. But the price will increase to $17.99 monthly on Oct. 12. The ad-free Disney+ plan, Disney Premium, will increase from $10.99 to $13.99 monthly on Oct. 12.
With a $3 monthly increase for each plan, subscribers must budget an additional $36 annually to keep the same plan. Those who subscribe to both ad-free plans would need to account for an additional $72 in their annual streaming budget. That’s a lot of money for the average person.
Expect pricing changes to these bundles
In addition to the pricing increases mentioned above, The Walt Disney Company noted that two of its bundled plans would soon cost more. Expect pricing changes to these bundles in October:
Trio Basic, which features ad-supported Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ content, will rise in price from $12.99 to $14.99 monthly.Trio Premium, which features ad-free Disney+ content, ad-free Hulu content, and ESPN+ (with ads), will increase in price from $19.99 to $24.99.
This new streaming bundle can save you serious cash
But there’s some good news in all this talk about higher prices. A new bundle will be made available starting on Sept. 6. Duo Premium, which will feature ad-free Disney+ and Hulu content, will cost $19.99. This bundle will offer serious savings.
Considering the upcoming price changes, subscribing to the ad-free Hulu plan and Disney Premium would cost you $31.98 monthly. But if you bundle these plans by subscribing to Duo Premium, you’ll pay only $19.99 monthly.
That’s a savings of $11.99 per month or $143.88 annually. This could be an excellent way to keep more money in your checking account without giving up your favorite ad-free Hulu and Disney content.
What to do if you don’t want to pay more
Any price increase, no matter how small, impacts your wallet. Knowing about these price changes before October gives you time to decide what to do. For some, the additional cost may be too much or make the service no longer worthwhile. Here are some options to explore:
Downgrade your plan: If you’re okay with streaming ads in exchange for a lower subscription price, you may want to downgrade your plan. Hulu with ads costs $7.99 monthly, and Disney Basic (with ads) costs $7.99 monthly. Both of these ad-supported plans are more affordable.
Bundle your plans if possible: If you subscribe to multiple streaming services, check to see if a bundle is available that could help you save money. The brand-new Duo Premium bundle highlighted above could be a great option to explore if you use Disney+ and Hulu.
Rotate your streaming apps: While having multiple streaming platform options available at once can be nice, paying for multiple services each month can get expensive. Some people rotate the services they use and pay for to keep costs low. When you’re ready to give another service a go, pause one of your subscriptions and reactivate another.
For additional ways to save money, check out our personal finance resources.
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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com and Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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