Starting on November 12th, Disney will have a bundle of its three streaming services Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. This bundle will be $12.99 per month. The announcement came today by Bob Iger during an investors call.
The news of this bundle had been hinted at previously but confirmation did not arrive until today. The three streaming services are also available to purchase individually. Starting on November 12th, Disney+ will be available for $6.99 a month. Hulu can be purchased for $5.99 per month with ads or $11.99 without ads. ESPN+ currently costs $4.99 per month. All that being said, the new bundle will save approximately $5 and will include the Hulu with ads service.
Iger shared about the price, “That $12.99 bundle offers consumers tremendous volume, tremendous quality, and tremendous variety for a good price.” It is a part of their focus on the direct-to-consumer content strategy.
“The positive response to our direct-to-consumer strategy has been gratifying, and the integration of the businesses we acquired from 21st Century Fox only increases our confidence in our ability to leverage decades of iconic storytelling and the powerful creative engines across the entire company to deliver an extraordinary value proposition to consumers,” Iger shared in a press release.
The new bundle should be released on “Amazon, Apple, and other distributors,” Iger said. While the deals with these companies haven’t been finalized yet, Iger said, “we feel it’s important for us to achieve scale quickly, and we think it’s going to be an important part of that. They’re all interested in distributing the product.”
This strategy is focused on providing content in three distinct areas: general entertainment, family, and sports. Disney will be attempting to create a one-stop destination for people to get all their viewing needs with this bundle. It is priced identically with Netflix’s “standard” plan. Amazon Prime Video is $8.99 a month. Showtime runs at $10.99 a month. HBO NOW is priced at $10.99 monthly.
Currently, Hulu and ESPN+ are available for subscription with Disney+ becoming available on November 12th. The bundle will be available as well. Disney fans visiting the D23 Expo in two weeks will get the first opportunity to sign up for this new bundle.
What do you think of this price for the bundle? What streaming service do you use? Will it change your streaming habits? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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