When Disney-owned ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air on Sept. 17, an estimated 1.7 million viewers cancelled their Disney+, Hulu and ESPN subscriptions. (1)(2)

Even Howard Stern jumped in, saying he dumped his Disney+ subscription in support of his pal Kimmel. (3)

The backlash was so intense that Jimmy Kimmel was back on air seven days later — but not without a hit to network reputations.

Still, the boycott didn’t deter Disney+ or Hulu from announcing plans to raise their subscription prices.

The price hikes highlight that major media companies aren’t afraid to raise prices, even when customers push back. (4)

How much more you’ll pay

Here is a comparison of the price hikes for ad-supported plans and ad-free plans.

Ad-supported:

• Disney+’s ad-supported plan will be $11.99 a month (up from $9.99).
• An Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max ad-supported bundle will be $19.99 (up from $16.99).

Ad-free:

• Disney’s ad-free plan will be $18.99 (up from $15.99).
• An ad-free Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle will be $32.99 a month (up from $29.99).

Disney is by no means alone. Monthly streaming prices have surged across platforms in recent years. By comparison:

• Netflix’s standard plan is now $17.99
• Amazon Prime is $14.99 (or $139 per year)
• Apple TV+ is $12.99
• Paramount+ ad-free is $12.99
• And Peacock’s ad-free plan is $10.99

With nearly every major platform announcing routine hikes, what was once the “cheap escape from cable” has turned into a lineup of bills that rival — and in some cases exceed — the old cable bundle.

Consumers can easily spend $200 a month to catch hit releases spread across those platforms.

Barbara Snedegar and her husband stream multiple platforms as they travel in their RV. She told CNBC that even though streaming services’ occasional price hikes may not seem like a lot, they add up over time. (5)

“When you first subscribe, you get these really good prices that suck you in,” she said. “Then they email and tell you prices are going up by some piddly amount like maybe $1 or $2.

“Next thing you know, you’re paying at least double what it started out to be.”

While Disney still boasts 128 million streaming subscribers, even a small percentage of cancellations can sting in a competitive market where Wall Street scrutinizes every quarterly number. (6)

That context makes the price hike risky. Raising rates after alienating part of your base may backfire, pushing some households to cancel permanently instead of trimming elsewhere.

Are the rising costs worth it?

For consumers, the big question is whether streaming still delivers value.

A family subscribing to ad-free Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+ would pay nearly $80 per month just for those five services.

Add Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube TV, and the total can hit nearly $190 a month — more than most traditional cable packages.

Are all those platforms really necessary? For many, the answer is no. Content overlap means you’re often paying multiple companies for shows and movies you could live without.

If the bills feel overwhelming, there are ways to cut costs without giving up entertainment entirely:

Rotate subscriptions: Sign up for one or two services at a time, binge the shows you want, then cancel and move on to the next.

Bundle carefully: Some companies, like Disney, offer discounted bundles of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Check if it’s cheaper than paying separately.

Use ad-supported tiers: They’re annoying, sure, but ad tiers can save you $5–$10 per service each month.

Leverage free options: Platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Freevee offer thousands of shows and movies without monthly fees.

Article sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

CNN (1); New York Post (2); Variety (3, 6); Quartz (4); CNBC (5)

This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Disney+ announces price hike in wake of backlash over Jimmy Kimmel affair — are streaming platforms losing their luster?

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.