Disney+ and Hulu Get More Expensive Again Despite Surging Streaming Profits

Disney is raising prices for Disney+ and Hulu again, requiring subscribers to pay more for both advertising-supported and ad-free streaming. The standalone plans containing commercials are each increasing by 50 cents to $12.49 per month, meaning customers will now spend more every month while continuing to receive advertising alongside their movies and television shows.

Subscribers who pay to eliminate commercials face an even larger increase. The standalone Premium versions of Disney+ and Hulu are each rising by $2.50 to $21.49 per month. New customers face the higher standalone prices immediately, while existing subscribers will be notified before the increases begin appearing on their bills next month, depending on individual billing cycles.

Disney is also raising the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle by $2, bringing its monthly price to $21.99. The ad-supported bundle, however, remains unchanged at $12.99. That creates an unusual difference: subscribing to both Disney+ and Hulu with commercials now costs only 50 cents more each month than purchasing either ad-supported service individually for $12.49.

The increases arrive while Disney’s streaming operation is generating substantially more money than a year ago. Disney+ and Hulu revenue climbed 11% year over year to $5.53 billion during the fiscal third quarter through June. More significantly, operating income from the streaming businesses more than doubled, jumping from $329 million to $712 million over the same period.

That financial performance provides important context for subscribers facing another increase. Disney spent years absorbing substantial streaming losses while building Disney+ and expanding its direct-to-consumer business. The latest increases are different: Disney+ and Hulu are now firmly profitable, meaning customers are being asked to pay more while streaming is already producing hundreds of millions of dollars in quarterly operating income.

Higher subscription prices have already contributed to Disney’s improving results. In the March quarter, Disney+ and Hulu generated $582 million in operating income, an 88% increase from a year earlier. Disney said stronger subscription revenue, partly resulting from price increases implemented in fall 2025, contributed to the improvement. The company is now returning to higher prices once again.

The increase for ad-supported subscribers is particularly notable because Disney can generate revenue from those customers in two ways. Viewers pay a monthly subscription fee while also receiving commercials from advertisers. The additional 50 cents may appear relatively small individually, but recurring increases applied across a large subscriber base can translate into substantial additional subscription revenue over time.

Keeping the ad-supported bundle at $12.99 while raising either standalone service to $12.49 also creates a powerful incentive to take both. For only another 50 cents, customers can add an entire second streaming service. Bundling can give Disney more programming with which to retain viewers and potentially reduce cancellations after subscribers finish watching a particular movie, series or season.

Disney is simultaneously considering an option for consumers increasingly reluctant to pay for streaming. CEO Josh D’Amaro said the company is «exploring a free product for consumers», although Disney said Wednesday it had no additional announcement about the project. Such a service could allow Disney to reach price-sensitive viewers primarily through advertising while its existing paid subscriptions continue becoming more expensive.

That would leave Disney with several ways to generate revenue from different consumers. Premium subscribers pay higher prices to eliminate commercials, ad-supported customers pay a monthly fee while also receiving advertising, bundles encourage viewers to take multiple Disney services, and a potential free tier could generate advertising revenue from people unwilling to purchase a conventional streaming subscription at all.

For subscribers, the immediate result is simpler: most standalone Disney+ and Hulu plans now cost more. The increases follow a period in which streaming operating income more than doubled to $712 million and previous price hikes already contributed to stronger results. Disney is no longer raising prices while trying to rescue an unprofitable streaming operation, but while an increasingly profitable business pursues further growth.