Disney wants to increase Disney+ subscriber numbers before the end of the third quarter of 2024 — and before the new price hike takes effect.
In a new promotion starting Thursday, new and returning customers in the US can sign up for the ad-supported Disney+ Basic plan for $1.99 per month for the first three months. The new offer comes with Disney+ Basic increasing from $7.99 to $9.99 per month, effective October 17, along with pricing for Disney+ Premium, Hulu, ESPN+ and multi-service bundles. Disney is offering the special deal to eligible customers from September 12 to 27 on disneyplus.com; after the promotional period ends, Disney+ Basic will be $9.99 per month.
Disney is touting the $2-a-month deal for Disney+ Basic as “just in time for a great fall,” including the premiere of Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” the highest-grossing film of all time. (No release date for “Inside Out 2” has been announced for the streaming platform.) Additional programming highlighted in the trailer includes Marvel’s “Agatha All Along,” a “WandaVision” spinoff (premiering Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. PT), and Selena Gomez’s “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” a sequel to Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” (Oct. 30).
Disney+ first launched in 2019, a streaming service dedicated to movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, along with “The Simpsons” and more.
In the U.S. and Canada, Disney+ added 800,000 new subscribers to reach 54.8 million by Q2 2024, while international Disney+ Core customers (excluding Disney+ Hotstar) fell by about 100,000 to 63.5 million. Disney told investors it expects Disney+ Core subscribers to grow “modestly” in Q4 2024 (which ends in September).
Along with the new promotion, Disney+ is offering a new set of benefits to subscribers for a limited time in the US starting September 12, including discounts and special offers. More information is available here.
New Disney+ perks include:
- Enter a Disney Cruise Line raffle for a chance to visit Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas
- An exclusive free collection of over 35 Marvel digital comics.
- Free In-Game Emojis for Mobile “Disney Emoji Blitz”
- 15% off Disney products at Funko
- Get 15% off Disney products at Loungefly
- Exclusive in-game cosmetic from Ubisoft and Lucasfilm for Star Wars Outlaws for Nix, the main character's companion.
- Early access to “Agatha All Along” merchandise on disneystore.com (starting September 18)
- Tickets to Disney+’s “D23 Tune-in to Terror: A Hollywood Halloween,” a member-only event in Los Angeles (on sale September 12, 10 a.m. PT)
