Disney Plus to raise US subscription price by $1 to $8 a month in March

Disney Plus is raising its US prices by $1 to an $8-a-month subscription staring in March, after Disney launched the streaming service in November 2019 to rocketing popularity. In continental Europe, prices are going up by two euros to EUR9 a month, and it will be making similar adjustments in other markets where Disney Plus is charged in local currencies. 

“These price increases reflect an increase in the underlying value of the Disney plus product offering,” Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said Thursday. 

By comparison, Netflix‘s most popular plan costs $14 a month, after the streaming giant raised its own prices earlier this year. Netflix‘s cheapest tier is $9, and Netflix’s premium package — which unlocks perks like 4K resolution, HDR image quality and the ability to stream on four devices at the same time (benefits that Disney Plus offers standard) — costs $18 a month. 

Disney revealed the news Thursday during an investor presentation expected to detail Disney’s overall streaming strategy for the next year and beyond, as well as unveil how the company’s big slate of movies will be released while the pandemic continues to keep film fans out of cinema seats. The event was expected to explain plans and goals for Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus, as well as international streaming services Star and Disney Plus Hotstar. 

This is a developing story; check back for updates. CNET’s full coverage includes all the news from Disney’s event.

Read more: Star Wars shows, movies we might see at Thursday’s preview event
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