The price of ad-free Disney Plus is going up.
The Walt Disney Company plans to set a higher price for the service later this year, CEO Bob Iger said during the media giant’s second quarter earnings call Wednesday. It’s unclear what the new price will be. In 2022, Disney Plus bumped ad-free plan from $8 to $11 per month while also introducing an $8 ad-supported tier. The move will be the third price hike since the service launched in 2019 at $7.
Additionally, CFO Christine McCarthy said during the call that the company is shedding some content on its streaming platforms, but she didn’t specify which platforms or content.
“We are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation…” McCarthy said. “As a result, we will be removing certain content from our streaming platforms.”
Iger returned to the helm in November last year, promising to address the company’s streaming strategy. While speaking at the Morgan Stanley tech and media conference in March, he said Disney could explore licensing its TV and film content rather than focusing resources on making its own streaming originals. Disney’s plan seemingly reflects a money-saving approach to how it produces and delivers content. Iger also said Wednesday that a combined Disney Plus and Hulu app is coming.
Source: CNET
