Annual ESPN+ Subscription Rates Surge, Burdening Current Users with Higher Costs
Cranking up your streaming bill ain't a new trend these days, and ESPN+ just joined the price hike party. Starting January 8, the sports streaming platform is bumping up its annual subscription from $50 to $60 for fresh customers. But fear not, existing subscribers, you've got a little breathing room – your rates will stay put until at least March 2.
Not only that, but pay-per-view UFC events are also getting a price bump, going from $65 to $70. Remember when ESPN+ increased its monthly subscription cost for new sign-ups from $5 to $6 earlier this year? Well, this annual subscription change won't affect those monthly payments, and it won't hit Disney+ bundle pricing (for now, at least).
This marks the first annual price hike for ESPN+ since its launch in 2018. As the service expands its live events, original content, and studio programming, the higher annual cost seems like a logical step.
In case you're wondering, your favorite streaming cousins aren't immune to this rising trend. Hulu with Live TV recently suffered a similar fate, and Disney+ announced it would boost its per-month subscription cost by $1 in March of next year (from $7 to $8 monthly), while its per-year subscription plan will go up by an additional $10 (from $70 to $80 annually). At that time, the bundle including ESPN+, Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu will also increase by a buck, setting you back $14 per month.
So, while we understand that good services can't stay dirt cheap forever, let's face it – watching all these price hikes hitting our wallets isn't exactly a walk in the park. Especially when everyone else seems to be following suit.
- The tech industry's trend of price hikes expansion seems to be affecting more services, as Gizmodo reports that Hulu with Live TV has also increased its subscription rate, setting a new monthly cost of $8 starting March next year.
- Streaming platforms aren't the only tech services facing rate increases, with future UFC pay-per-view events also rising from $65 to $70, displaying the widespread influence of these cost adjustments.
- Just like the shift in the UFC pricing, the annual subscription rate for ESPN+ is looking to move up from $50 to $60 for new customers, catching up with the tech market's direction.
- As the tech world continues to evolve and expand on its offerings, we may find ourselves looking for more affordable leisure activities such as hiking, given the increasing rates of our favorite streaming services.
