Disney+ Customers Are Upset About This Major Change
The streaming service has plans to changes its prices soon, a move that has customers incensed.
Disney+ has been a hit with customers since its launch in Nov. 2019, gaining 94.9 million subscribers as of Feb. 2021. However, the service's latest move has some customers incensed. The streaming service just announced that it would be raising its prices in the near future, and many of its former fans are threatening to cancel their subscriptions. Read on to find out how much your Disney+ service could cost going forward and when the changes take effect. And for more streaming service controversies, Everyone Is Calling For YouTube to Take Down This Video.
The price changes will be implemented in late March.
As per the Disney+ website, the popular streaming service will be increasing its prices for customers starting on March 26. The basic service will increase $1/month, from $6.99/month to $7.99/month, and its Disney Bundle will increase the same amount, rising to $13.99 a month for bundles with Hulu with ads and ESPN+ and $19.99/month for ad-free Hulu and ESPN+. The service's bundles with Hulu with ads, ESPN+, and live TV will increase $1/month as well, rising from $72 to $73/month, while the same bundle with ad-free Hulu will rise from $78 to $79/month. And for the latest entertainment news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Fans are already upset about the proposed price hike.
While the price increase may seem minor, customers are incensed over the increased service cost.
"@disneyplus just got an email that you're raising your prices. Cancelled my subscription," wrote one Twitter user. "Disney plus is too new to be already upping their prices," wrote another. And if you're already a Disney+ subscriber, check out these 13 Shows You Can Watch on Disney+ From Start to Finish This Weekend.
The service has already made some major changes amid the pandemic.
The increased cost of the streaming service isn't the only change Disney+ has made in recent months. In Oct. 2020, Disney+ announced that it would be adding content warnings to movies including Dumbo, Fantasia, Lady and the Tramp, and Peter Pan due to controversial—and allegedly racist—depictions of certain cultures.
"This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe," the disclaimer reads.
Disney+ isn't the only streaming service to implement some controversial policy changes this year.
Disney+ isn't alone in making some changes to boost its revenues amid the pandemic, which has caused massive financial losses for companies across industries.
In early March, Netflix—which has consistently denied that it would crack down on account sharing in the past—sent out a warning to some customers that read, "If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching." Just a few months prior, the subscription service had also raised its prices, increasing the cost of its standard plan $1, to $14/month, and its premium plan $2, to $18/month. And for some TV providers that aren't delivering adequate value to their customers, This Is the Least Popular Streaming Service, According to Data.
