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Disney Entertainment announced yesterday that it is teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery to offer a Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.
Naturally, the internet was quick to take the new streaming bundle to task, with many saying we’re just a step away from cable, calling it “Cable+”. Even The Independent is calling it Cable TV 2.0. (This is even bigger news than when HBO Max changed its name to just Max.)
But don’t worry, it’s not like that at all. They’re doing it for you, the viewer, not the shareholders.
“This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.”
Joe Earley, President, Direct to Consumer, Disney Entertainment
Phew! They had us worried for a second.
Read on below for a quick rundown on all there is to know about the upcoming Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.
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What does the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle include?
From Star Wars to Marvel to Pixar, Disney owns some of the biggest brands and media franchises in the world. These are, of course, already available with Disney+.
It also owns 20th Century Fox, FX, and Searchlight Pictures. And the ABC television network, Hulu, and ESPN, which can all be bundled under existing Hulu and Disney+ plans.
Recently merged megacorp Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO, CNN, DC, Discovery, Food Network, HBO, HGTV, Searchlight Pictures, and Warner Bros.
The combination of Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery represents a staggering 37% market share of the domestic box office for 2023. (Both conglomerates contribute and equal share, more ore less.)
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the pay-one window rights for films by the 40+ studios owned by these 2 massive corporations.
When is the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle coming out?
The streaming 3-pack will be available for purchase this summer. But the official date that it becomes available has not been revealed yet.
Who can get the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle?
The Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle will only be available to US customers this summer.
Existing deals Warner Bros. Discovery has with overseas streaming services—such as U-Next being the exclusive home of HBO in Japan—will certainly hinder its rollout in other markets.
Where can you buy the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle?
You’ll be able to subscribe to the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle through any of the 3 streaming platforms.
Does the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle have ads?
The 3-pack streaming bundle will have both an ad-supported and an ad-free plan.
How much does the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle cost?
Pricing details for the Max-Hulu-Disney+ Bundle, or whatever it’s going to be called, have not been released yet. But claims made during the recent Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call promise to make us an offer we can’t refuse.
“It’s really working off of the Max standalone and the existing Disney+ and Hulu package bundle. So, as a comparative basis, it’ll be priced very attractively for consumers.”
JB Perrette, WBD, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games
Using the Disney Bundle Duo Plans as a foundation—which are $9.99/month and $19.99/month with and without ads, respectively—we can then tack on a discounted Max plan.
The Max plans are $9.99/month with ads and $15.99/month without. There’s also the overpriced Ultimate Ad-Free plan for $19.99/month that charges customers for 4K video quality. (Disney+ doesn’t paywall 4K streaming, so this likely won’t figure into the equation.)
But how much will Max be discounted?
While streaming bundles do exist—such as the AMC+ & Starz Bundle through Prime Video—they are offered by 3rd-party partners. This is the first time 2 competing streaming services have joined forces without an intermediary.
As this is the first major inter-company streaming bundle ever, there’s no reference point on how much the discount will be. While the savings with Disney Bundles range from 66% to 75%, it’s hard to believe that HBO will cut Max by that much.
But something in the 30–40% range is not out of the realm of possibilities—if the companies want to make it a truly compelling offer. And that’s what they’ll want to do on Day One.
It’s Streaming Services 101. Then they’ll wait a year or so and increase the price by $2/month for the Ad-Free plan.
So let’s split the difference and say the new bundle will represent a savings of 35% off Max.
That means adding Max (With Ads) to the Disney Bundle Duo Basic plan for $6.49. And that would make the new ad-supported “Disney+, Hulu, Max Basic Bundle” cost $16.99 (rounded up to the nearest 99).
Adding a discounted Max (Ad-Free) for $10.39 to the Disney Bundle Duo Premium plan would total $30.38. So we could round that to either $29.99 or $30.99 for the ad-free “Disney+, Hulu, Max Premium Bundle“.
As it’s supposed to be enticing pricing—and stakeholders will need to hit subscription milestones—the lower price of $29.99/month is a safer bet to start things off with.
Therefore, our final predictions for the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundles are:
- With Ads: $16.99/month
- Without Ads: $29.99/month
What are you predictions for the Max-Hulu-Disney+ Bundle pricing? And will you be subscribing?
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