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Disney now charges $9 a month to take the ads out of Disney+, up from $7

Disney's ad-supported tiers moved 50 cents or not at all while the ad-free ones moved $2.00 to $2.50, so four of its five ad-free plans now sit exactly nine dollars above their ad-supported twin. Disney says its most popular bundle is unchanged.

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What happened

  • Ad-free Disney+ and Hulu each rise $2.50 to $21.49 a month for new subscribers from Wednesday, while the ad-supported versions of both go up 50 cents to $12.49.
  • Disney told TechRadar that Bloomberg's report was factual, and said it had raised standalone ad-supported plans by just 4% while holding its most popular bundle unchanged.
  • Bloomberg counted this as Disney's sixth increase in six years, while CNET called it the fourth in four years, landing exactly a year after the previous rise.

Why it matters

  • What it costs cost Subscribers who refuse ads absorb almost all of this round: the premium for going ad-free on Disney+ or Hulu went from $7.00 a month to $9.00, a 29% rise in the only thing that extra money buys.
  • Who has to decide decision At 50 cents above a single ad-free plan, the two-service ad-free bundle leaves a household no reason to buy standalone premium.
  • What doesn't add up contradiction Disney's defence cites 13% as this year's average competitor increase. Its own ad-free standalone plans went up 13.2%. That makes the comparison harder to use next year.
  • What it sets up precedent Holding the entry tier while the premium tier climbs gives Disney the same announcement to make again, with the ad-free upgrade carrying the increase each time.

Line up each ad-supported plan against its ad-free twin and the same number comes out four times. Disney+ standalone: $12.49 with ads, $21.49 without [2][1]. Hulu standalone is priced identically [1][2]. The Disney+ and Hulu bundle: $12.99 with ads, $21.99 without [3][4]. The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle, both tiers frozen: $35.99 and $44.99 [6]. Nine dollars each time [31]. The only pair that misses is the ESPN Select bundle, at $21.99 with ads and $32.99 without, eleven dollars apart [5][27].

Before this round the Disney+ and Hulu gaps were seven dollars. The standalone plans ran $11.99 and $18.99 [28]; the bundle ran $12.99 and $19.99 [29]. The ad-supported side moved fifty cents or nothing, the ad-free side two dollars to two-fifty, and the fee for removing ads went up 29% [30]. The increase on the ad-free standalone plans works out at 13.2% [19].

A Disney spokesperson told TechRadar: "While competitors have raised prices by an average of 13% this year, we are keeping the price of our most popular bundle unchanged and have increased our standalone ad-supported offerings by just 4%" [17]. Both halves check out. Fifty cents on $11.99 is 4.2% [21], and the ad-supported bundle is flat [3]. The 13% Disney assigns to its competitors is also, to a tenth of a point, what its own ad-free standalone plans just did [19]. Disney confirmed to TechRadar that Bloomberg's report was factual [10]. The Los Angeles Times said Disney did not respond immediately to its request for comment [13].

TechRadar's write-up put the 13% on the ad-free Hulu-Disney+ bundle, but its own price table and the Los Angeles Times both attach $21.49 and the $2.50 rise to the standalone premium plans [15][1]. The ad-free bundle went to $21.99 [4].

That $21.99 is fifty cents above a single premium subscription, as the Los Angeles Times pointed out [4]. A household already paying $21.49 for ad-free Hulu can add ad-free Disney+ for fifty cents a month. At that gap the bundle beats standalone premium. Disney+ launched in 2019 at $6.99 a month [8].

The count is disputed. Bloomberg, as reported by TechRadar, called this the sixth increase in six years [32]; CNET called it the fourth in four years for both services, landing exactly a year after the last one [33]. The tech analyst Paolo Pescatore told CNET that "Like Netflix, Disney has some leeway to raise prices given the breadth of its offering and the strength of its brands," and added: "But consumers are becoming more selective, further increasing risk and encouraging more people to dip in and out rather than remain permanently subscribed" [22][23].

For anyone pricing a two-tier product, the number a user feels is the difference between the tiers. Disney's own table shows which side moved: the ad-supported prices held or crept, and the ad-free ones carried the rest. When the cheap tier holds and the premium tier climbs, the entry price is an anchor and the upgrade is the thing being repriced. All three plans Disney froze belong to pairs that now sit nine dollars apart [3][6][25][26].

What to watch

  • Whether UK and European prices follow within weeks, after Disney+ UK said it had nothing to share on that pricing and Australia was raised in April.
  • The promised single app combining Disney+ and Hulu later this year, and how the tier names and gaps survive the merge.
  • Whether existing subscribers are billed the new rate on their next statement, as the Los Angeles Times and CNET reported, or from October 21 as Android Police reported.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence88
Adoption60
Hype gap+5
Incentives65
Confidence82

Perspective Coverage

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Operator
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Investor 33%
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    Starting Wednesday, new subscribers to the ad-free premium tiers of Disney+ and Hulu will pay $21.49 a month for each service, up $2.50; existing subscribers will see the new prices on their next monthly bill.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  2. [2]

    The ad-supported versions of Disney+ and Hulu will each cost $12.49 per month, up 50 cents.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  3. [3]

    The ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle remains at $12.99 a month.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  4. [4]

    The ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle increases $2 to $21.99, which is 50 cents more than a single premium subscription.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  5. [5]

    The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle (with ads) increases $2 to $21.99 and the ESPN Select Bundle Premium (ad free) increases $3 to $32.99.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadar price tableView cited source
  6. [6]

    The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle (with ads) stays flat at $35.99 and the ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium (ad free) stays flat at $44.99.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadar price tableView cited source
  7. [7]

    The price increase is already visible on the Disney+ support page.

    Reported Supported Source: Android PoliceView cited source
  8. [8]

    Disney+ launched in 2019 with a monthly price of $6.99.

    Reported Supported Source: Android PoliceView cited source
  9. [9]

    Disney confirmed price increases for all but three of its standalone Disney+ and Hulu plans, and bundles including both platforms, in the US.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadarView cited source
  10. [10]

    Approached by TechRadar for comment, Disney acknowledged that Bloomberg's report was factual.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadarView cited source
  11. [11]

    "We continue to significantly invest in enhancements to Disney+ - new technology, features, and personalization. These improvements continue to strengthen the value we deliver to subscribers and will culminate in the one app experience later this year," a Disney spokesperson told TechRadar.

    Reported Supported Source: Disney spokesperson, to TechRadarView cited source
  12. [12]

    Subscribers who were already signed up will see the price increase on or after October 21, 2026.

    Reported Supported Source: Android PoliceView cited source
  13. [13]

    Disney did not respond immediately to a request for comment from the Los Angeles Times.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  14. [14]

    Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV and YouTube Premium have all raised their subscription fees this year.

    Reported Supported Source: Los Angeles TimesView cited source
  15. [15]

    TechRadar's article text says the biggest markup would see the Hulu-Disney+ Premium (ad-free) bundle go up by 13% to $21.49 per month, an additional $2.50, while its own price table lists that bundle rising $2 to $21.99 and the standalone premium plans rising $2.50 to $21.49.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadarView cited source
  16. [16]

    Disney plans to launch a single app combining Disney Plus and Hulu by the end of the year, outgoing CEO Bob Iger said at the company's Q1 earnings call in February.

    Reported Supported Source: CNETView cited source
  17. [17]

    "While competitors have raised prices by an average of 13% this year, we are keeping the price of our most popular bundle unchanged and have increased our standalone ad-supported offerings by just 4%," a Disney spokesperson told TechRadar.

    Reported Supported Source: Disney spokesperson, to TechRadarView cited source
  18. [18]

    "We don't have anything to share on UK or European pricing at this time," a Disney+ UK spokesperson told TechRadar.

    Reported Supported Source: Disney+ UK spokesperson, to TechRadarView cited source
  19. [19]

    The increase on standalone ad-free Disney+ and Hulu is 13.2%.

    Derived Supported
  20. [20]

    Australian Disney+ users were hit by a price hike in April.

    Reported Supported Source: TechRadarView cited source
  21. [21]

    The increase on standalone ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu is 4.2%.

    Derived Supported
  22. [22]

    "Like Netflix, Disney has some leeway to raise prices given the breadth of its offering and the strength of its brands," tech analyst Paolo Pescatore told CNET.

    Reported Supported Source: Paolo Pescatore, to CNETView cited source
  23. [23]

    "But consumers are becoming more selective, further increasing risk and encouraging more people to dip in and out rather than remain permanently subscribed," Pescatore told CNET.

    Reported Supported Source: Paolo Pescatore, to CNETView cited source
  24. [24]

    After the increase, ad-free standalone Disney+ or Hulu costs $9.00 a month more than the ad-supported version of the same service.

    Derived Supported
  25. [25]

    After the increase, the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle costs $9.00 a month more than the ad-supported bundle.

    Derived Supported
  26. [26]

    The two frozen ESPN Unlimited bundles are $9.00 a month apart.

    Derived Supported
  27. [27]

    The two ESPN Select bundles are $11.00 a month apart after the increase, against $10.00 before it.

    Derived Supported
  28. [28]

    Before the increase, standalone ad-free Disney+ or Hulu cost $18.99 and the ad-supported version $11.99, a gap of $7.00.

    Derived Supported
  29. [29]

    Before the increase, the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle cost $19.99 against $12.99 for the ad-supported bundle, a gap of $7.00.

    Derived Supported
  30. [30]

    The premium charged for removing ads from Disney+ and Hulu rose 29%, from $7.00 a month to $9.00.

    Derived Supported
  31. [31]

    Four of Disney's five ad-supported and ad-free plan pairs now sit exactly $9.00 apart: standalone Disney+, standalone Hulu, the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, and the ESPN Unlimited bundles.

    Derived Supported
  32. [32]

    Bloomberg reported on September 23 that Disney was about to increase the cost of a subscription for the sixth time in as many years.

    Reported Contested Source: Bloomberg, as reported by TechRadarView cited source
  33. [33]

    The price hikes come exactly one year after Disney's last price increases, and it is the fourth time in four years that subscription prices have gone up for both Disney Plus and Hulu.

    Reported Contested Source: CNETView cited source

Sources

10 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. 9to5google.com

    2 articles · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ starts rolling out another price hike, no ad plans starting at $21.49/month
  2. 9to5mac.com

    2 articles · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu just increased prices, here’s how much
  3. androidpolice.com

    1 article · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu are getting another price hike
  4. arstechnica.com

    2 articles · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits
  5. cnet.com

    1 article · September 23, 2026

    Disney Plus and Hulu Prices Go Up, With Ad-Free Plans Hit the Hardest - CNET
  6. droid-life.com

    1 article · September 23, 2026

    New Disney+ Price Increase
  7. latimes.com

    1 article · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu raise prices again as Disney steers subscribers toward bundles - Los Angeles Times
  8. macrumors.com

    2 articles · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu Raise Prices Again, Ad-Free Plans Now $21.49
  9. techcrunch.com

    2 articles · September 23, 2026

    Disney+ and Hulu add to the growing trend of streaming inflation
  10. techradar.com

    1 article · September 24, 2026

    The cost of Disney+ and Hulu is going up again — but Disney argues 'we are preserving a high-value option for subscribers' as it freezes the price on three of its streaming bundles | TechRadar

Topics and entities

Topics

  • Ad-supported streaming
  • Streaming Bundles
  • Streaming price increases

Entities