Disney now has more subscribers than Netflix, reveals price hikes & $7.99 ad-supported...

midian182

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In brief: The Walt Disney Company has announced it now boasts more subscribers across its three services than Netflix. The media giant also revealed that Disney+'s new, 'cheaper' ad-supported tier arrives on December 8 for $7.99 a month. That's the same price as the current, ad-free version, which will increase to $10.99 per month in the US.

Back in March, Disney+ announced it would be offering a cheaper, ad-supported plan later this year. One could argue that it's just introducing ads to the current $7.99 tier on December 8, the same date it launches the ad-free Disney+ Premium option that will cost $10.99 per month in the US.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the ad-supported tier, which can't be paid for annually, would have a "lower ad load and frequency to ensure a great experience for viewers." The ads are expected to take up four minutes per hour and won't run on kids profiles.

The price of Hulu is also going up. The ad-free tier is increasing from $12.99 per month to $14.99, while the ad-supported version is moving from $6.99 to $7.99. The previously announced ESPN+ price hike pushes it from $6.99 to $9.99 per month.

The new Disney+ tier is also being added to bundle plans. Incorporating it with ad-supported Hulu will be $9.99, and adding ESPN+ to the package is $12.99. An ad-free Disney Plus subscription with ad-supported Hulu and ESPN Plus will increase from $13.99 to $14.99 / month, and removing ads from Hulu increases that package to $19.99.

Disney+ beat expectations in the third quarter when it reached 152.1 million subs by adding 14.4 million new customers, which exceeded the expected figure of 10 million. Growth in the quarter was spurred by shows such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ms. Marvel.

As reported by TechCrunch, most of Disney+'s growth came from outside the US and Canada, where it attracted 100,000 new subscribers to reach 44.5 million. International Disney+ subscribers increased by 6 million to reach 49.2 million, while Disney+ Hotstar, available in India and Southeast Asia, added 8.3 million subscribers to reach 58.4 million.

Disney did, however, lower its forecast for Disney+ from 230 million - 260 million subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024 to 215 million - 245 million.

With Hulu hitting 46.2 million subs and ESPN+ reaching 22.8 million, Disney's combined 221.1 million subscribers puts it ahead of Netflix's 220.67 million global customers—Netflix lost almost one million subscribers in the last quarter.

Despite the increase in subscribers, Disney's streaming business continues to lose money, reporting a loss of $1.1 billion during the quarter. But the company as a whole, including its theme parks, recorded a profit of $1.41 billion.

Masthead: Marques Kaspbrak

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I didn't read it super hard but how many subscribers don't actually pay a dime? Do they even mention it? I got mine free with some promotion I can't remember.

Reminds me how the phone companies claim the most 5G users or whatever because they have away the most 5G phones.
 
While I like the Disney+ that is part of Hulu, it should be optional, not mandatory and will probably be the reason I drop Hulu if they raise their price within this calendar year.
 
The library of movies and series available in my country is huge compared to netflix/amazonvideo regional lockouts, and hulu and the others are not even available at all
 
"But the company as a whole, including its theme parks, recorded a profit of $1.41 billion."

So Disney is only clearing less than 6 billion annually? That's a good bit lower than I expected. I guess funding pedophilia and wokeness at every turn doesn't come cheap.
 
Quick! Our customer user base has increased so we need to jack up the price for reasons.....umm....for reasons of.....ummm....for more profit!

Then we'll add in an ad-based tier for the old premium price so we can continue to make more money from stupi.....from our dedicated customer base.

It sounds like a great business model. Milk more money from subscribers on all ends of the spectrum.
 
It baffles me really, Disney is ruining every franchise they touch, even their own. The writing is atrocious. I'm sorry for anyone that liked Obi Wan, but that series was a bad joke that ruined Obi Wan's character and shot holes in the original saga.

I actually cancelled my sub to Disney because they are no longer family friendly. Buy it really wasn't that hard of a decision because all their new content is garbage anyway.
 
I've known for years they would have to double the cost of Disney plus to stop losing money on it - just curious now if we will be switching o ad-supported, or stay ad-free?

its a lot of money to access a movie library I've already grown bored of, plus a few marvel shows
 
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While I like the Disney+ that is part of Hulu, it should be optional, not mandatory and will probably be the reason I drop Hulu if they raise their price within this calendar year.
I get my Disney fix from our local library, thousands of movies and books available.
We basically use Hulu to watch shows we missed on our main service (usually from politicians stepping all over them).
 
Subs will DROP as parents gradually learn this is NOT the Disney of old. They are an indoctrinating, woke company with horrible management.
 
You guys and your boogeymen. :rolleyes:
"guys I know disney said they support the gay agenda and most of their child stars ended up royally screwed up but they didnt MEAN it!"

Imagine unironically thinking disney is OK.
"But the company as a whole, including its theme parks, recorded a profit of $1.41 billion."

So Disney is only clearing less than 6 billion annually? That's a good bit lower than I expected. I guess funding pedophilia and wokeness at every turn doesn't come cheap.
It really isnt. Look at all the companies scoring high on the ESG system, they're all losing capital fast. It's a snake eating its own tail.
Quick! Our customer user base has increased so we need to jack up the price for reasons.....umm....for reasons of.....ummm....for more profit!

Then we'll add in an ad-based tier for the old premium price so we can continue to make more money from stupi.....from our dedicated customer base.

It sounds like a great business model. Milk more money from subscribers on all ends of the spectrum.
I mean....have you met Disney bois? They'll pay thousands for that theme park slop, and go see every movie and cry at the predictable "good guys win" endings. They are the ultimate consoomers.
 
No Thank You Disney. Going to tell you the same thing Netflix has been told: If you're going to show us ads, you DON'T get to charge us money. You get one or the other, not both. Get knotted!

I thought Netflix was woke until I browsed through Disney+ content.🤮
Yeah, Disney is "woke". It's really sad.
 
"guys I know disney said they support the gay agenda and most of their child stars ended up royally screwed up but they didnt MEAN it!"
So is what you are saying is that the reason the child stars (you might as well extend that to any and every child star) are screwed up is because Disney encouraged them to be LGBTQ+ or "Groomed" (as it was put above) rather than the reason being a world so obsessed with capitalism and riches that the world wholly fails at imparting real, ethical values to its younger generation? Perhaps the parents of those child stars should have stepped in instead of exploiting them?
Imagine unironically thinking disney is OK.
Imagine ironically thinking that encouraging children that the answer to happiness is to accumulate more wealth than God and to be a star in the eyes of the public as a means to happiness.
It really isnt. Look at all the companies scoring high on the ESG system, they're all losing capital fast. It's a snake eating its own tail.
I mean....have you met Disney bois? They'll pay thousands for that theme park slop, and go see every movie and cry at the predictable "good guys win" endings. They are the ultimate consoomers.
Yes, I imagine all the ESG companies will be totally broke in the not-too-distant future. All the anti ESG propaganda will help with that - as if any of those consoomers have any clue what you are talking about.
 
So is what you are saying is that the reason the child stars (you might as well extend that to any and every child star) are screwed up is because Disney encouraged them to be LGBTQ+ or "Groomed" (as it was put above)
Homosexuality is almost the norm, rather than the exception in the arts, musical theater, and fashion worlds. In simplest terms, the art of being "fabulous", is a big priority.

I challenge anyone to do a study of the percentage of LGBTQ+ persons in the arts, as opposed to the percentage in the population at large.
 
Homosexuality is almost the norm, rather than the exception in the arts, musical theater, and fashion worlds. In simplest terms, the art of being "fabulous", is a big priority.

I challenge anyone to do a study of the percentage of LGBTQ+ persons in the arts, as opposed to the percentage in the population at large.
Yeah, that 3% of the population is massively over-represented.
 
Yeah, that 3% of the population is massively over-represented.
I mostly watch CBS' procedurals> (NCIS, SWAT, FBI (all three)., etc, and totally avoid "reality" shows.).

Last season they introduced a hospital show entitled, "Good Sam". It was quickly cancelled in a half season.(13 episodes).

Here's the funny thing, while shows with, "girls on girls", seem to do fine, shows with, "boy on boy action", fare poorly. Such was the case with "Good Sam", which featured a continuing and very tedious tiff between a paramedic and an interning doctor over infidelity. (Both ostensibly male).

Such is not the case with cop shows featuring girl on girl action, such as NCIS: Hawaii, and "SWAT", which at one point had a trinity featuring a BGG subplot. They're doing fine, thank you very much..

IMO. at lot of "diversity" is being rammed down our throats, not for what many believe is, "social justice", but rather is motivated by corporate greed. One salient example is big pharma's pitch.for "Biktarvy", an HIV suppressant drug. Doubtless the bulk of its list price, ($3,800/ month) is the burden for insurers. The ad ends with two men kissing Being a hopelessly out dated old fart of a heterosexual male, I have to look.away. :rolleyes:

Y'all can probably look forward for this sort of thing to appear on Disney+, the difference is, you'll have to pay to be offended by it. :dizzy: 🤣
 
Y'all can probably look forward for this sort of thing to appear on Disney+, the difference is, you'll have to pay to be offended by it. :dizzy: 🤣
Not at all. Disney can swing from the trees and fling it's poo all it wants, that doesn't mean we have to pay a dime to watch. Disney, much like Netflix, can go tie their neck in a knot.

Youtube is very much the only online streaming service I watch. And if you want to avoid the "woke" nonsense, that takes just a bit of time telling the algorithm what you're not interested in. I rarely see that crap. When it shows up, I swiftly click "not interested". Boom, gone.
 
Y'all can probably look forward for this sort of thing to appear on Disney+, the difference is, you'll have to pay to be offended by it. :dizzy: 🤣
OK. First. "y'all" is an inclusive term, and it was a blanket statement aimed at "all" Disney's current subscribers. If I meant "you" in particular, I would have typed "you". in place of, "y'all".

My belief is, that the larger corporate advertisers will migrate, or more likely expand to, these paid services. So, you'll see Toyota, big pharma, Progressive, and Geico, among others, placing ads on Disney, creating a merging with what presents currently on OTA TV....
Youtube is very much the only online streaming service I watch. And if you want to avoid the "woke" nonsense, that takes just a bit of time telling the algorithm what you're not interested in. I rarely see that crap. When it shows up, I swiftly click "not interested". Boom, gone.
There's a provision for, "boom, it's gone", with gmail also. The only problem there is, if you dismiss an ad, Google launches a questionnaire asking why you did so. It's actually less of a problem to ignore it, and it will go away on its own.
Not at all. Disney can swing from the trees and fling it's poo all it wants, that doesn't mean we have to pay a dime to watch. Disney, much like Netflix, can go tie their neck in a knot.
OK, Disney is the summarily most annoying channel I've ever had the misfortune to be exposed to. That being said, and since you're not already a member, I certainly don't expect you would join now with ads anyway.

BTW, Marvel/Disney's latest, "Dr. Strange and the Multiverse", was a piece of sh!t. I love FX movies, but I still think they need more than a rudimentary excuse for a plot. :poop:
 
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