This week, Disney unveiled a significant number of new shows, movies and content coming to its Disney+ streaming service. The massive entertainment company also announced a price increase for U.S. subscribers, and it looks like Canadians will also get an increased price.
As reported by CBC News, Disney plans to increase the monthly subscription cost from $8.99 to $11.99 for all Canadian users starting February 23rd, 2021. That’s the same time the company plans to launch its ‘Star’ tier in Canada — Star is the international version of Hulu and not to be confused with the Starz brand licensed by Bell Media in Canada.
Disney also charges annual subscriptions for Disney+ — the cost for a year’s worth of Disney+ will go up from $89.99 to $119.99.
Although Hulu hasn’t been available in Canada until now, those looking forward to trying the streaming service in the form of Star may wind up disappointed. Disney hasn’t announced any specific titles coming to Star, and the service is set to offer content from specific Disney properties. Other Hulu content, such as some Hulu originals, likely won’t come to Star since they’re already available in Canada through other platforms — for example, The Handmaid’s Tale, which currently streams on Crave.
On top of that, Disney promised 35 first-run series for Star that will launch within a year of the service.
For many users, the price increase may be a point of frustration. While Disney claims Star is coming to Disney+ at no extra cost, it’s clear the $3 per month increase is meant to cover the expanded content. Plus, Disney isn’t the only streaming platform that has upped prices. Netflix also recently increased its monthly cost.
Coupled with the incoming tax on digital services, many Canadians could find themselves on the hook for bigger monthly bills for streaming services.
Update 12/12/2020 at 9:20am: Added the yearly pricing information to the article.
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