Disney+ prices being hiked up again – the honeymoon period for streaming is surely over

Disney has announced a new round of price rises for its streaming services in the US. Subscription fees for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will be going up on 17 October for new and existing customers.

This will impact all tiers in the region, including ad-supported plans, and although there's currently no word on price increases in other countries, such as the UK, history suggests they will follow.

Disney+ with ads will raise by $2 – from $7.99 to $9.99 per month, while the ad-free plan will cost $15.99 per month, from $13.99 as it is now.

Hulu and ESPN+ membership will see raises from $1 to $2 depending on the tier.

One way to avoid the price hike though is to pay for a year's subscription to Disney+ before the cut off date, which currently costs $139.99 for 12-months' access. That will rise to $159.99 on 17 October.

Another is to opt for a Duo Basic or Duo Premium bundle – they include Disney+ and Hulu with and without ads respectively, and won't be affected by the price rise. They'll continue to be available for $10.99 and $19.99 per month.

To sweeten the pill, Disney has announced continuous playlists for Disney+. This new feature effectively adds TV-style channels to the service, with ABC News Live and a new playlist based on preschool content due to launch first.

These will kick off on 4 September, with other planned playlists to include ones on seasonal content – such as a holidays playlist – epic stories, throwbacks, and real life.

Rather than stream shows individually, you can just start the playlist and sit back to enjoy continuous content in the specific theme.

We await news on when playlists might arrive in the UK and other regions with Disney+. We'll also bring you updates on other regional price changes as and when we hear more.