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During an earnings call Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a bundle of its three streaming services: ESPN Plus, ad-supported Hulu, and the upcoming Disney Plus for $12.99 per month. The bundle will be available immediately when Disney Plus launches on Nov. 12. Disney acquired full operational control of Hulu in May.
Disney is investing heavily in the streaming world. Disney Plus will host big-budget original series like The Mandalorian, Loki, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier; existing Star Wars and Marvel properties; original mid-budget movies like a live-action Lady and the Tramp, Stargirl, and Noelle; and the entire existing Disney and Pixar animated library. It’s scheduled to debut in the same month as Apple’s streaming service, Apple TV Plus, and a few months before WarnerMedia’s streaming service, HBO Max, arrives.
“It is going to be treated as the most important product the company has ever launched,” said Iger. He added that members of D23 — Disney’s fan club with a biennial exposition event — will be able to sign up for Disney Plus early. Without the bundle, Disney Plus will be available for $6.99 a month, or $69.99 a year. Hulu (with ads) is currently available for a monthly fee of $5.99, while ESPN Plus costs $4.99.
The bundle is a shot across the bow at Disney’s large (and growing) field of competitors in the streaming space. The standard subscription plan at Netflix, which is required for HD streaming, is currently priced at $12.99 a month. Amazon Video is included in Amazon Prime, which goes for $12.99 a month or $119 a year. Pricing for HBO Max and Apple TV Plus has not yet been announced, although it has been reported that WarnerMedia plans to charge $16-17 a month for HBO Max.
