DISNEY+ fans are set to be hit with a price hike next year, in the latest blow to families in the cost of living crisis.
Disney has confirmed that users will see their bills go up from 2023.
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The company had previously revealed it was planning to introduce new levels of subscription – and customers who wanted the cheaper version would have to put up with ads while they watch.
Viewers will have to endure up to four minutes of adverts every hour unless they’re willing to pay extra for an ad-free version of the streaming service.
Now the firm has revealed what customers across the pond will be paying from the end of the year.
In the US, Disney+ users will pay $7.99 a month for the version with adverts – currently this is the amount they pay with no ads.
For an ad-free service, the price will rise to $10.99 a month.
The new pricing structure for UK customers is not yet clear – The Sun has asked Disney when the details will be available.
“We expect the ad tier to be popular and we expect some people to want to stay with ad-free,” Disney’s chief financial officer Christine McCarthy said on a conference call with analysts.
In the UK, users pay £7.99 a month or £79.90 if you pay for a year up front.
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So if Disney follows the same pricing plan here as it is rolling out across the UK, users could expect to pay £7.99 for streaming with ads, and £10.99 a month for the ad-free version.
That means you can avoid a price hike – but you’ll have to put up with adverts.
Disney launched its streaming service in November 2019, offering families the chance to catch up on their favourite TV shows and movies from the brand.
It also introduced a Premier option for an extra £19.99 to get early access to certain content.
The service was proved popular – Disney said it added 14.4million subscribers to Disney+ between April and June this year.
Disney isn’t the only streaming service to warn of price hikes.
In March, Netflix revealed it would hike subscription prices by up to £24 a year.
And Amazon Prime followed suit – users will pay £1 extra a month from September for its service
Can I get Disney+ cheaper or for free?
Tesco Clubcard holders can sometimes exchange their points for a subscription to Disney+.
You can triple your points when you spend them with certain retailers, meaning you could swap £8 of Clubcard points for a three month subscription.
Mobile provider O2 has also offered a subscription of up to six month for Disney+ to new customers or those upgrading their plan.
It’s easy for the cost of using various streaming services to add up quickly, but there are ways to keep costs down.
Paying annually rather than monthly can cut the cost – Disney+ is £79.90 for the year, saving you almost £16 on the monthly cost.
Check what you’re actually using and cancel the services you don’t make the most of. You could always rotate them – if you do pay monthly, you’re not usually locked in.
Make the most of free trial periods – often you can use a service for 30 days before you pay. Remember to cancel before the end of the trial period to avoid being charged.
And pool your resources – family membership options are usually cheaper than each person in the house having their own individual subscription.
