Streaming platforms have become a key part of many studios' content distribution plans, but not all of them have been quite as successful as Disney+ was out of the gate. With its nearly 100 years worth of popular offerings (which some would argue did damage to brands), combined with a very aggressive price tag, the platform was an immediate hit. However, that incredible subscription cost has been going steadily up over the last three and a half years. And with the news of the most recent Disney+ price increase and more, it looks like some fans have hit their limit, as an unflattering statement is currently trending.
Last week, during Disney’s Q3 quarterly earnings call, it was confirmed that the ad-free version of a Disney+ subscription will jump from its current price of $10.99 per month to $13.99 per month starting in October. Alongside that came news that starting next year, the service will begin to crack down on password sharing, though exactly what form that will take is still unclear. While price increases are not uncommon for any streaming platform, there's always the fear that people will cancel memberships if prices get too high. There now seems to be a concerted effort to do that, as "Cancel Disney Plus" is now trending on social media, per NoDeposit.guide. And the phrase has seen a 510% increase since the announcement. A quick search shows many current users are planning to cancel, sharing sentiments like the following:
I hate to say it but I think I’m gonna cancel Disney plus, I haven’t watched anything on it besides nat geo docuseries for the last 3 months
For many, it doesn’t seem like it's the price increase alone that's causing people to consider cancelling their memberships, rather, it’s the price increase combined with the fact that they apparently don’t use it much. With all the streaming services that many consumers subscribe to, it's natural that some would be used more often than others. And while you might be willing to pay a certain price to simply have many shows and movies available, there will surely be a limit, as one user stated:
With the #DisneyPlus scheduled increase, I decided to cancel my subscription. I rarely use it anyway, but cannot justify paying any more for something I don’t use.
Of course, the House of Mouse is certainly hoping users who take issue with the price being too high, for whatever reason, don’t cancel their subscription. The company would prefer they drop down to the much cheaper ad-supported Disney+ tier. That option, which is currently $7.99 per month, is not seeing a price increase, and CEO Bob Iger stated during the earnings call that was very intentional. And in some cases, that decision could almost prove to be effective:
I was already planning to drop to ad-supported when my renewal happens (after the news of that stupid price hike) but honestly? @DisneyPlus is the streamer I like the least because it has the least value to me so I might just cancel altogether
While a price increase certainly means increased revenue for Disney+, if enough people cancel subscriptions, it could mean an overall decline for the service. It'll be interesting to see where the numbers balance out, and we'll likely find out in three months at the next earnings call. In the immediate future though, it's possible that "Cancel Disney Plus" could trend off and on for a while.
