Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins
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Hulu confirmed Tuesday that it would raise the prices of its on-demand plans, following $ 1 price hikes by sister services Disney + and ESPN +.
Hulu’s most popular plan, the advertising option, will cost $ 6.99 a month, one more dollar. Its ad-free version will cost $ 12.99, the company said, starting at $ 11.99. The changes, which do not apply to the Disney package or live TV plans, take place on October 8 and apply to new and current subscribers.
The Disney package includes Disney +, ESPN + and Hulu for $ 13.99 a month.
Broadcast services initially cut prices as a way to attract new subscribers as more headlines joined the crowded space. However, as more users registered and companies began to spend millions on their own content, they began to charge more to continue offering exclusive shows and movies.
Disney said in its third-quarter 2021 earnings that it had nearly 174 million subscriptions to Disney +, ESPN + and Hulu at the end of the quarter. He said 42.8 million are paid Hulu subscribers and 39.1 million of those subscribed to its a la carte service, which does not include live television.
Earlier this year, Disney raised the cost of ESPN + $ 1 a month to $ 6.99 after the service agreed to a series of new sports rights deals. The company also raised the price of Disney + per dollar to $ 7.99 a month in March, the first time it has raised rates since the service debuted.