Disney the latest streamer to hike prices as it introduces two tiers

Disney+ will introduce two tiers - Premium and Standard.

Disney+ has become the latest in a procession of streaming services to hike its rate - though those willing to live with fewer features can stick with the old pricing.

Disney+ currently costs $14.99 per month.

From members’ next billing period, the price will increase by 27 per cent to $18.99 as the service is renamed Disney+ Premium - while the pricing for those who choose to pay annually also increases by 27 per cent from $149.99 to $189.99.

But there will also be a new Disney+ Standard option, which will stay at $14.99 (or $149.99 annually) - but support for two screens at once (compared to the Premium plan’s four) and standard high definition (the Premium plan offers 4K or ultra high definition).

There is no cheaper, ad-supported option as has been introduced in some territories.

Disney last raised its NZ streaming pricing in December 2022.

Earlier this month, Netflix confirmed price rises of up to 15 per cent as it bumped the price of its Basic monthly plan from $12.99 to $14.99, its Standard plan from $18.49 to $20.99 and its Premium plan from $24.99 to $27.99.

This month has also seen Amazon’s Prime Video increase its monthly pricing by 38 per cent from $7.99 to $10.99.

In January, Sky TV increased the price of a standard plan to its Neon streaming service by 11 per cent from $17.99 to $19.99 per month.

The price of a Sky Sport Now Month Pass rose from $44.99 to $49.99 the following month. Sky said the increase was not related to the demise of its only local streaming rival, Spark Sport. It was pinned on rising content and production costs.

Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.