The price of ad-free Disney+ will rise again

In addition to announcing its second quarter results, Disney made two important announcements, one of which is the significant change that the company will soon integrate Hulu’s content into the application of the Disney+ streaming service. According to CEO Bob Iger, the experience offered through a “single app” is currently planned to be introduced in the United States by the end of the year, so Hulu’s offer will be available on Disney+, but even the separate apps will remain, this will apply to ESPN+- on too. Iger explained that the move makes sense as it provides better options for advertisers while making it easier for subscribers to access more content, promoting a unified streaming experience.

In addition, the price of the ad-free subscription is expected to rise this year, in December, but exact amounts have not yet been mentioned (the service increased by $3 last December, so this may still seem likely). While Hulu has long offered subscribers an ad-supported option, Disney+ began offering cheaper ad-supported options last year as subscriber growth began to slow. For the time being, it seems that the ad-supported package will not be affected by the increase.

The new kraftie is here! The present and future of modern frontend development On May 17, we will discuss what technological and labor market effects may affect the frontline profession.

Disney also announced its second-quarter financial results on Wednesday: the company reported revenue of $21.82 billion, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, beating preliminary expectations. The operating loss of the streaming business decreased by 26 percent, but the loss of $659 million is still huge. In addition, Disney+ lost 4 million subscribers during the period, which is the second quarter in a row showing a downward trend after the previous one.

According to rumors that have come to light in recent weeks, Disney seems open to the idea of ​​completely acquiring Hulu, the company currently owns 67 percent of the service, the remaining 33 percent belongs to Comcast. Under the deal reached in 2019, Comcast can oblige Disney to buy the remaining stake, and Iger said recently that constructive conversations about the future of Hulu with the other party have been held recently.