Disney Plus No Longer Offers Free Trial Accounts, Ahead of ‘Hamilton’ Premiere
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Disney has ended the free seven-day promotional trial for Disney Plus — with the company saying it doesn’t need to dangle freebies to lure new customers to the streaming service.
“We continue to test and evaluate different marketing, offers and promotions to grow Disney Plus,” a rep for the company said in a statement. “The service was set at an attractive price-to-value proposition that we believe delivers a compelling entertainment offering on its own.”
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The end of Disney Plus’ free-trial promo, which is a widespread customer-acquisition tool in the industry, was first spotted by French news site Numerama.
As of early May, Disney Plus had signed up 54.5 million subscribers worldwide just six months after its launch. In the U.S., it costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
The move by Disney Plus to stop giving away trial accounts comes ahead of the July 3 premiere of “Hamilton,” the movie based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical, about a year before it was originally scheduled to play in theaters. Disney Plus is the dedicated streaming home for movies and TV shows from brands including Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, and also features an array of original titles.
Disney also does not offer free trials of the three-way Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus bundle (priced at $12.99/month, a 28% discount versus purchasing the services separately).
Meanwhile, on a standalone basis, Hulu — which is controlled by DIsney — still offers free trials of varying lengths. Currently, the $5.99 monthly plan with ads and the $11.99 monthly package without ads are free for one month to eligible subscribers. Hulu + Live TV, which starts at $54.99 per month, offers a free seven-day trial.
Netflix continues to offer a 30-day free trial period, while WarnerMedia’s recently launched HBO Max currently offers a seven-day free trial.
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