Disney+ has raised its prices again, and this time it comes with a twist: the company is now telling European subscribers that paying for an ad-free tier doesn’t actually mean ads are off. The streaming service announced today that its ad-free premium plan is jumping from $18.99 to $21.49, a 13% increase, according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the ad-supported plans for stand-alone Hulu and Disney+ are each going up by $0.50 to $12.49, and the ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle is rising to $21.99. The only plan staying put is the ad-supported Disney+/Hulu bundle, which remains at $12.99.
But the price bump is not the whole story. Last week, users discovered that Disney+ had quietly changed its terms and services agreement for European subscribers. The new language says that “may include promotional content, sponsorships, and advertisements before/after playback of Content and in channels, live/as-live, special events, and any third-party services content.” In other words: even if you’re paying to skip ads, Disney+ can still show them to you.
The New Terms and How They Work
The change affects European subscribers specifically. As of writing, that language does not appear in the American Disney+ legal agreement. But there is a section in the U.S. version that reads: “Additionally, ‘no ads’ or ‘ad-free’ Service Tiers may contain limited promotional content, such as brief clips about the Bundles (including messages promoting an upgrade thereto) and other content available on any services associated with the Bundles, and branded content, product integrations, or sponsorship messaging.”
The European agreement now includes sponsorships and live events in addition to the clips and promotions already permitted in the U.S. version.
What Each Plan Now Costs
The price changes break down across four plans:
- The ad-free Disney+ premium plan rises from $18.99 to $21.49.
- The ad-supported Disney+ plan increases by $0.50 to $12.49.
- The ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle rises to $21.99.
- The ad-supported Disney+/Hulu bundle stays at $12.99.
The one plan that holds steady is the ad-supported bundle. Every other tier goes up.
The Doubling Price Since 2023
Variety notes that the price of Disney+ has literally doubled since 2023, when ad-free streaming cost $10.99. That is a remarkable climb for a service that launched at a price many subscribers found reasonable.
The pattern is consistent: Disney raises prices annually, and each increase compounds the last.
Why Europe Gets Different Terms
The difference between the U.S. and European agreements is notable. The European agreement now includes sponsorships and live events in addition to the clips and promotions already permitted in the U.S. version.
The new European terms were discovered by users, not announced by Disney.
The Practical Effect on Viewers
For subscribers who pay for the ad-free tier, the situation is awkward. You are paying more for a service that reserves the right to show you ads anyway. The promotional clips and branded content allowed in the U.S. agreement are one thing. Ads before or after playback of content, in channels, live events, and third-party services — that is a different matter entirely.
The distinction Disney draws is thin. If it’s advertising for Disney+, it doesn’t count as an ad. But for the subscriber who pays extra to avoid interruption, the experience of streaming looks the same either way.
Our View on the Move
Disney+’s move is frustrating. The company is raising prices while simultaneously weakening the guarantee that comes with paying extra. An ad-free tier should mean no ads. The new terms say otherwise.
The practical effect is that European subscribers who pay for the ad-free tier are getting less value than they bargained for. They are paying more for a service that can legally show them ads in more places than the U.S. version allows. That is not a fair exchange.
The European agreement extends the logic of the U.S. version further. Disney is effectively saying that the ad-free label means something different in Europe than it does in America.
The change was discovered by users, not announced by Disney.
The price hike is real. The terms change is real. And the combination of the two means that paying extra for no ads is no longer the promise it once was.
Disney+ has raised its prices again. It has also changed the rules under which those prices operate. The result is a subscription that costs more and delivers less certainty than it did a year ago.
| Plan | Previous Price | New Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-free Disney+ premium | $18.99 | $21.49 |
| Ad-supported Disney+ | — | $12.49 |
| Ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle | — | $21.99 |
| Ad-supported Disney+/Hulu bundle | $12.99 | $12.99 |
The pricing structure is simple: everything goes up except the ad-supported bundle.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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