Disney beats Netflix in subscribers, announces price increases

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Disney has announced plans to raise the cost to stream shows on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ by the end of the year, as the company beat Netflix in total number of subscribers for the first time ever.

Disney announced widespread price hikes, during its third quarter earnings report Wednesday, across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ to coincide with the launch of an ad-supported version of Disney+.

Disney also shared it beat Netflix in total number of subscribers for the first time ever. Disney+ added 14.4 million new subscribers for a total of 152.1 million in the third quarter, as Netflix lost subscribers earlier this year.

Together, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ have 221 million subscribers topping Netflix, which reported 220.7 million subscribers last month.

Disney+, which hosts content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more, plans to raise its streaming prices starting in December.

Disney+ currently costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year without ads. Those same prices will pay for streaming Disney+ “with ads” starting December 8.

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The ad-free version of Disney+ will jump to $10.99 a month or $109.99 a year.

Hulu’s prices will also go up starting October 10. Hulu with ads, which currently costs $6.99 a month, will increase to $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year.

Hulu without ads will jump from $12.99 a month to $14.99 without an option for a yearly subscription.

ESPN+ plans to hike its prices from $6.99 a month to $9.99 a month and $99.99 a year starting August 23.

Pricing for subscription bundles to stream all three will also see increases.

“With our new ad-supported Disney+ offering and an expanded lineup of plans across our entire streaming portfolio, we will be providing greater consumer choice at a variety of price points to cater to the diverse needs of our viewers and appeal to an even broader audience,” Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement

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