Disney recently announced big changes are coming to its streaming service. However, users have been unhappy with the changes and are considering canceling their subscriptions en masse – something evidenced by social media trends.
The subscription costs of streaming services have been steadily rising in the past couple of years, while also fragmenting in a fashion similar to cable TV. Ironic, isn’t it? Disney recently announced that there will be a price hike for Disney+ and it looks like it may have been the last straw for many users.
Cancel Disney Plus” has been trending on social media according to a report by Cinema Blend. The phrase has seen a 510% increase in usage since the price hike announcement. It is the biggest usage spike of any phrase, worldwide, in the last seven months.
During Disney’s Q3 quarterly earnings call last week, the company confirmed that it will be increasing the monthly subscription price of the ad-free version of Disney+ from its current price of $10.99 per month to $13.99 starting in October.
The company also announced that starting next year, the streaming platform will begin cracking down on password sharing – mirroring a recent unpopular move from Netflix, which unfortunately proved to be a financial success despite being morally bankrupt. However, it is still unclear how the platform plans to curtail password sharing.
It seems that the price hike isn’t the sole reason that users want to cancel their subscriptions. Many subscribers have shared that they do not use the streaming platform all that much. With so many options available to users, it comes as no surprise that some platforms may be underutilized. The price increase may have pushed consumers to the limit of what they can spend on streaming services.
yeah i also cancelled mine, i only have apple tv (bc its included w apple one, and there is a show i want to watch that came out today) and netflix (bc im on my parents account). i might resubscribe when they get more content or when i feel like watching a few disney shows/movies
— kelwin 💋 (@thestardewgay) August 9, 2023
Disney is certainly hoping that users would opt for the lower ad-supported tier rather than cancel their subscriptions altogether. The lower tier will retain its $7.99 per month subscription price and it doesn’t look like it will be seeing a price increase anytime soon. This is an intentional strategy to retain subscribers amid the price hike.
The negative reactions from users extend to the announced crackdown on password sharing. This is similar to how users reacted to Netflix’s recent password-sharing crackdown. While Disney+ has not detailed how it intends to implement the crackdown, many fear that it may also increase the cost of having the streaming platform.
Disney+ was launched in November 2019 and provides subscribers with an extensive library of movies, TV shows, and other content from the house of mouse. One of its main selling points is that the platform hosts Marvel and Star Wars content alongside original Disney shows. The streaming service is one of the leaders in the industry alongside Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Are you also considering canceling a streaming service subscription? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.