Why did Disney decide to bring Jimmy Kimmel Live back? Was it primarily an ethical decision made in the name of free speech? Or was it more of a business one following widespread outrage, boycotts, protests, and mass cancellations of the company’s streaming services? We might never know. Or we might have just found out. Just one day after announcing its signature late night ABC show is returning, the Mouse House made another announcement. It’s increasing prices on most of its packages for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select. Yep, another Disney+ price hike is here.
For the fourth straight year Disney is raising the price for the majority of its Disney+ streaming options. A basic Disney+ subscription with ads is going up by two dollars to $11.99 per month. As is the Disney+ and Hulu combo, which will now run you $12.99 a month. Most bundle packages, featuring some combination of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (some with, some without ads) are going up three dollars. The cost for a yearly subscription to Disney+ Premium is increasing by $30. Just a few bundles, including options with NFL+ Premium, are remaining the same. You can see the status of your package here. The price increases go into effect next month on October 21.
You can also check out a quick breakdown of the most important price increases to our readers at the bottom of this piece.
This news comes one day after Disney said Jimmy Kimmel is returning to airwaves. Independent journalist Marisa Kabas of The Handbasket, who first reported on the coming increases last night, said the timing of those two announcements was far from a coincidence. On Bluesky she wrote, “Part of the reason Disney/ABC may have rushed to sort things out with Kimmel is because tomorrow they have a planned price increase for Disney+ streaming, a Disney source tells me. With subscriptions hemorrhaging since last week, they couldn’t risk losing more users with this announcement.”
SCOOP — Part of the reason Disney/ABC may have rushed to sort things out with Kimmel is because tomorrow they have a planned price increase for Disney+ streaming, a Disney source tells me. With subscriptions hemorrhaging since last week, they couldn’t risk losing more users with this announcement.
— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) 2025-09-22T22:20:12.473Z
Jimmy Kimmel is coming back. That much is true. But while it’s hard to pinpoint one specific reason why, it’s impossible to deny that you can’t raise prices while everyone is cancelling their subscriptions.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!