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Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicIt seems like Disney might be shooting themselves in the foot with this decision.
Related: Disney to Downsize: CEO Bob Iger Prepping to Sell Disney Entertainment
In 1937, Walt Disney Pictures marked a historic moment with the debut of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, their inaugural full-length animated feature film. This pioneering achievement in cinema transformed the industry completely, firmly establishing Disney as a pioneer in narrative storytelling and artistic excellence.
Over the span of a century, Disney’s influence has expanded significantly, reaching its zenith with the introduction of its exclusive streaming platform, Disney+ (Disney Plus). Disney has effectively built an extensive realm of entertainment, encompassing all the franchises they have acquired, ranging from Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story series to Lucasfilm’s Star Wars saga(s), and even the highly profitable Avatar franchise by James Cameron. Nearly everyone knows of Disney’s most popular acquisition to date — Marvel Studios and its Marvel Cinematic Universe, proprietors of the Avengers film franchise, helmed by President Kevin Feige.
The Lowdown on Disney+
Disney+ (Disney Plus) is a popular streaming platform launched by Walt Disney Company under now-CEO Bob Iger. It offers a vast library of movies and TV shows from across all the various Disney-owned franchises, including Disney classics, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Subscribers can access a wide range of content, from beloved animated films like The Lion King and Frozen to the latest Marvel superhero adventures and Star Wars series.
Related: Disney Under Scrutiny: Recent Reported Actions Have Fans “Enraged”
Disney+ also produces exclusive original content, such as popular shows within the abovementioned franchises — like Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Marvel’s WandaVision (2021), making it a go-to destination for fans of these iconic properties. With its extensive content catalog and original programming, Disney+ has quickly become a leading player in the streaming entertainment industry, offering family-friendly entertainment and catering to a broad audience of all ages.
Disney+’s New Direction
Right now, The Walt Disney Company’s two streamers Disney+ and Hulu are set to move in a new direction price-wise starting October 12, 2023.
When Pop Base broke the news that Hulu would see its price increase to $17.99 and Disney+ to $13.99 for their “monthly ad-free plans”, Twitter (X) user Mike Scollins openly criticized the move with a tweet that went viral.
Scollins posits that these streaming services are currently “raising prices right now” in a ploy to get subscribers to switch their “ad-supported tier”. This would allegedly allow Disney to “collect ad revenue like traditional TV” without needing to “pay residuals to writers and actors like traditional TV”:
Streaming services are raising prices right now *hoping* you’ll switch to the ad-supported tier. This lets them collect ad revenue like traditional TV without having to pay residuals to writers and actors like traditional TV.
(continued) Realizing you’ve created an untenable business model is a *you* problem baby
Realizing you've created an untenable business model is a *you* problem baby
— Mike Scollins (@mikescollins) September 13, 2023
Naturally, this raised a furor online, with users like @Derivativethou posting:
The following includes language that may not be suitable for younger readers.
ok gotta cancel this shit and read some books
ok gotta cancel this shit and read some books
— Derivative thoughts (@Derivativethou) September 13, 2023
With many others piling on in agreement, user @Jonyahisrael dissed Disney for not putting out any new content and having the gall to mess with their prices:
Increasing prices with no new content on their platforms
Increasing prices with no new content on their platforms
— 𝕵𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 (@Jonyahyisrael) September 13, 2023
Many users seemed ready to jump on the subscription cancellation train, with Alison P. adding:
I’m just planning to cancel my subscription. I’ve had it for a year for free through Verizon. That ends next month and I have a calendar item to close it down. I’ll re-up to binge certain shows 1-2 times per year.
I’m just planning to cancel my subscription. I’ve had it for a year for free through Verizon. That ends next month and I have a calendar item to close it down. I’ll re-up to binge certain shows 1-2 times per year.
— Alison P. (@ChicagoAli) September 13, 2023
Meanwhile, even more seem to have already cancelled their subscriptions for this exact reason, like @FrostiLocket:
And this is why I have canceled.
And this is why I have canceled.
— Learn To Love 100% Of You (@FrostiLocket) September 13, 2023
Others like Josh Caladia openly admit to their hatred of ads:
they underestimate how much i do not want to watch ads
they underestimate how much i do not want to watch ads
— Josh Caladia 🥧🩷🐀 (@JoshCaladia) September 13, 2023
At the end of the day, Disney+ and Hulu are heavily reliant on the goodwill (and continued subscriptions) of their audiences. With these malicious methods that seem to target the producers of Disney’s content specifically, it seems that the company’s precious goodwill is eroding among its userbase.
With the lengthy and concurrent WGA strike (writer’s strike) and SAG-AFTRA strike (actor’s strike), it’s very possible that Disney’s dedicated streaming platforms could get hit significantly in the long run.
Do you think these price hikes are worth it in the long term? Would you be willing to move to ad-supported tiers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Disney+
Disney+ (Disney Plus), United States-based The Walt Disney Company’s dedicated streaming service (unlike Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video, for example) has a multitude of television and movie content, from the most recent Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, to Marvel movies and TV like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury-led Secret Invasion, to even Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid remake this year.
Several tiers of subscription are available, from Disney Plus Basic ($7.99) with ads to the ad-free Disney Plus Premium ($10.99), as well as Hulu-inclusive bundles – all for access across various device platforms. One of the biggest benefits of Disney+ is their expansive past Walt Disney Studios library and Disney+ Originals – where dedicated fans may watch every single instance that Obi Wan Kenobi appears in the Star Wars universe, all the Princess -featured Disney movies, or watch the newest Loki season or Ahsoka Tano-centric episode the second it drops — if they so desire.