TV Answer Man, I saw that Hulu is raising prices again. Is that true? I already pay $65 a month for Hulu and that’s too much. Why is this happening? — Dana, Tulsa.
Dana, you only heard half the story. Hulu is raising prices, but not for your plan. Let me explain.
The Disney-owned service revealed yesterday at its web site that the cost of its monthly $5.99 ads-included subscription Video on Demand plan will rise to $6.99 on October 8. And on the same day, the ads-free SVOD package, which is now $11.99 a month, will increase to $12.99 a month.
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However, the two price hikes will not affect your multi-channel, live streaming service which starts at $64.99 a month. Hulu Live’s price is not changing at this time.
Disney is raising the price on the two SVOD plans for two reasons:
1. To offset the escalating price of purchasing programming from the networks, and creating original programming for Hulu.
The latter has become even more important in the last few years with the entry of new streaming rivals such as Peacock and HBO Max.
2. To encourage more people to subscribe to Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
Note that the Disney bundle price will remain the same at $13.99 a month. In addition, note that Disney raised the price of Disney+ by $1 a month in March, and ESPN+ by $1 a month in August. The company is clearly favoring the bundle over separate subscriptions because the bundle generates more revenue.
Dana, hope that helps. You don’t need to worry about any price hike. At least not now. The last time Disney raised the price of the Hulu Live service was November 2020 so it’s quite possible it will rise again before year’s end.
Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Prediction: Before long, streaming with whatever device you wish to have and purchasing a la carte whatever content you wish to watch will be just as expensive as satellite and cable is now. Yes, I can definitely see a future where cable and satellite will, once again, be the choice where people can get all their content IN ONE PLACE!!!