Disney Plus is getting more expensive: money or advertising

Disney Plus prices are increasing in the US. That may not matter to the German user at first, but experience shows that such price changes will sooner or later spill over the pond from the video streaming service providers. So it cannot be ruled out that Disney will activate the price changes in the overseas markets directly with the launch of the advertising-financed subscription option.

In the USA, the price changes were also carried out with the introduction of the ad-supported subscription. This costs $7.99 and takes the place of the previously single subscription without ads. The ad-free plan increases by $3 to $10.99. Disney is giving customers the choice of accepting advertising at the previous price, accepting the price increase, or just canceling it.

After all, you have to hand it to Disney, you get more than the competition. Netflix had introduced the ad-free subscription, shortened the catalog and reduced the quality. Disney doesn’t have any of that and broadcasts in 4K-UHD, HDR and/or IMAX format if the source material allows it – not a matter of course for streaming services, as Paramount Plus shows. As of now, Dolby Atmos doesn’t work for advertisers; this should only be a temporary circumstance. In general, the principle should apply: no restrictions on the stream quality in the two subscriptions.

However, a few restrictions remain: Group Watch, Share Play and offline libraries are not available to users with the expensive subscription. Customers with an advertising subscription are also treated to four minutes of advertising per hour. Nothing changes in the number of four simultaneously supported devices in a household.

Disney Plus still too cheap? “Much too cheap in relation to our offer”

It has not yet been finally clarified when the advertising-financed subscriptions will start in Europe. They are supposed to come in 2023. Streaming services are currently pushing advertising more and more frequently, including Twitch, since the revenues here can be scaled differently than in the rather rigid subscription revenues. You could have seen it coming: in the article linked above, former CEO Bob Chapek said it was too cheap. The new, old CEO Bob Iger is unlikely to disagree.