Disney+ Bundle Will Include Hulu and ESPN+ For Discounted Price

Tyler Hersko

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Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ will all be available as part of one subscription when the Disney+ service launches on Nov. 12, Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors during the company’s quarterly earnings call Tuesday.

Instead of paying three subscriptions for three services, consumers will have the option buy a single $13 per month subscription that bundles all three platforms, which is $5 cheaper than subscribing to each service individually. The bundle will include the ad-supported version of Hulu. An ad-free Hulu subscription currently costs $12 per month.

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Consumers will still be able to purchase a standalone Disney+ subscription for $7, which is cheaper than most of the other major SVOD platforms on the market. For example, HBO Now costs $15 per month, while Netflix’s standard plan costs $12 per month.

Although the low subscription cost for a standalone Disney+ subscription initially surprised analysts, the news that Disney will offering a single subscription for its various streaming platforms is less shocking. There is a deluge of streaming services on the market—there are over 300 streaming platforms in the U.S. alone—and a recent Deloitte survey suggested that nearly half of the nation’s television consumers are frustrated with having to juggle so many subscriptions. Disney offering consumers a way to simplify what they pay for, while still offering a cheaper subscription option for those only interested in Disney+, is a direct response to concerns about the oversaturated streaming market.

Disney isn’t the only company that is hedging its bets on consolidation. AT&T’s upcoming HBO Max streaming service, which is scheduled for a beta launch in the fall, will reportedly bundle HBO, Cinemax, and a library of Warner Bros. films and shows and could cost around $16-$17 per month.

Although the breadth of content on Disney+ will not match the myriad shows and films available on competitors such as Netflix, Iger told investors that the quality of the content and popularity of the company’s IPs would help the upcoming streaming service stand out.

Disney+ originals will include new television series based on the enormously popular “Star Wars” and Marvel Cinematic Universe brands and the platform will also be home to many of the company’s most popular legacy films and shows. For example, most Pixar films, the first two “Star Wars” trilogies and all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons” will all be available on the service.

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