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When Disney+ first launched in Ireland in March 2020, it cost €6.99 per month. From November, this will set new Irish subscribers back by €10.99 a month.
The cost of a subscription to Disney+ in Ireland is reportedly going up from €8.99 to €10.99 in November for new customers and for existing customer from 6 December.
A previous price hike came in 2021, when Disney+ raised the cost of a subscription by €2 to €8.99 just a year after launching in Ireland.
News of the price hike, reported by multiple outlets, comes as the streaming giant published its latest earnings earlier this week, with revenue for the last quarter up 4pc while its streaming losses narrowed. However, there was a 7.4pc decline in subscribers, which now number 146.1m.
CEO Bob Iger said on the earnings call that Disney+ is cracking down on password sharing and will roll out “tactics to drive monetisation” later this year. The streaming giant’s competitor Netflix first started a password-sharing crackdown last October, with the roll-out reaching Irish customers earlier this year.
Disney+ also announced its ad-supported offering will be rolled out in select markets across Europe and Canada starting 1 November. In Europe, the plan will initially be available in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Denmark at a cost of €5.99 per month.
The ad-supported tier was launched in the US last year and costs $7.99 a month.
While new Irish customers will pay €10.99 per month starting November, the cost of an annual subscription will be €109.90 – €20 higher than the current €89.90.
“The strong momentum of our ad-supported plans in the US demonstrates the importance of providing consumers with choice, flexibility and value,” Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, said earlier this week.
Meanwhile, US subscribers are set to enjoy a new ad-free bundled subscription plan, starting 6 September, featuring Disney+ Premium and Hulu for $19.99 per month.
“We are excited to expand that offering in more markets across the globe, including in Europe and Canada, and to launch a new premium duo bundle of ad-free Disney+ and Hulu this fall, as we take steps toward making extensive Hulu content available via Disney+ later this year for bundle subscribers,” Earley added.
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