Disney+ will discount a bundle with Hulu and ESPN Plus for $13 a month

Disney’s coming $7-a-month Disney Plus service will be bundled at a discount with the company’s other streaming services: ESPN Plus and the ad-supported version of Hulu. Disney will combine all three subscriptions for $13 a month, CEO Bob Iger said Tuesday, a $5 discount on what you’d pay for the three services separately.

In other words, Disney set the price so you get all three services for the same price as Netflix’s most popular plan in the US. The bundle will be available in the US on Nov. 12, when Disney Plus is set to launch. 

Disney also hinted at original programming for Disney Plus based on Fox franchises like Home Alone and Night at the Museum. Disney bought 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion earlier this year. Iger said Tuesday that Disney is interested in “reimagining” those franchises and others like Cheaper by the Dozen and Diary of a Wimpy Kid “for a new generation.” 

In another effect of its Fox takeover, Iger said Disney may create FX shows that premiere on Hulu but ultimately end up running on the traditional network.

Disney Plus is one of the highest-profile examples of traditional Hollywood digging in to compete against streaming services from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and, soon, Apple. With tech giants pouring money into their own TV shows and movies and luring consumers away from traditional pay TV, Disney is aiming to pull all its content off other services and consolidate it with flashy original programs on its own service.

When Disney announced its “initial” $7-a-month pricing for Disney Plus in April, the theater full of investors and analysts gasped at the low price. That’s half the cost of HBO Now and significantly less than Netflix’s most popular plan. At that April meeting and since, Disney said it planned to offer a discounted bundle for all three of its subscription services, but it hadn’t specified the price until Tuesday.

Though Disney Plus is meant to be the streaming home for nearly all things Disney — such as Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars — ESPN Plus is designed to complement the company’s cash-cow sports network. By subscribing to ESPN Plus, you don’t unlock the same programming that ESPN’s channels have. 

Disney Plus plans

Iger said Disney will be revving up its marketing machine to campaign for Disney Plus later this month. 

“It’s going to be treated as the most important product that the company has launched … certainly during my tenure,” he said. 

People attending Disney’s biennial fan conference in Anaheim, D23, are going to be the first to sign up as subscribers. D23 opens Aug. 23. 

Iger also expects Disney will strike deals with distributors like Amazon and Apple that sell subscriptions to streaming services through a single bill, like Amazon Channels. 

Originally published Jan. 18, 1:59 p.m. PT.
Update, Aug. 6, 2:47 p.m. and 3:17 p.m.: With details throughout.