Disney to hike streaming prices and crack down on password sharing amid pressure on earnings

By DAVID HAMILTON
AP Business Writer

Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger vowed to make its streaming services profitable via a planned October price hike on its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans and a crackdown on password sharing expected to extend through next year. Disney’s raising the monthly cost of ad-free Disney+ by $3, or roughly 27%, to almost $14. The cost of ad-free Hulu will likewise rise $3 to almost $18. The Burbank, California-based media and entertainment giant reported narrower losses on its Disney+ streaming platform in the quarter ended July 1 and boosted revenues, but also shed Disney+ subscribers for the second quarter in a row.