The Queue
Plus: three TV shows and movies to press play on this week.
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In the short time between ABC announcing that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was on hiatus and reinstating the late-night host days later, parent company Disney dropped another bit of news that will make viewers unhappy: As of October 21, the prices of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (formerly known as ESPN+) are all going up.
Given that many consumers were already threatening to cancel their subscriptions in the brief time that Kimmel was off the air, this price hike was inopportune timing, to say the least. And while the spectre of a massive consumer boycott has likely cooled with Kimmel back on the airwaves, viewers of all political persuasions may still be wondering if there’s a more cost-effective approach to their streaming budget.
I’ve written about ways to save on streaming a few times before, including the best free streaming services and the best streaming bundles you may not know about. In that vein, here are a few suggestions about how best to save on your Disney-owned suite of streaming subscriptions.
What to know about Disney+ and Hulu’s price increases
How much more will I pay, exactly?
Standalone ad-supported subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu are each increasing from $9.99 a month to $11.99 a month. If you bundled Disney+ and Hulu with ads, that price is rising from $10.99 monthly to $12.99, while those who added ESPN Select (with ads) to that otherwise previous bundle will see their monthly bill rise from $16.99 to $19.99.
For those who pay more to avoid ads, Disney+ will go from $15.99 to $18.99, and Hulu is already at $18.99. The ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle remains at $19.99, while the ad-free bundle Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (which still has ads) is going from $26.99 to $29.99
Because Disney offers so many different streaming bundles, listing every single price change would take too much time. But you can see a full list of Disney+ prices here, and Hulu prices here.
I still want Disney+, Hulu, and/or ESPN. What’s the best way to save?
In my view, there are three viable strategies to save money on streaming: Bundle, Cycle, or Cancel. I’ll go through all three options in greater detail below.
Bundling
Disney really wants to avoid subscriber churn, and therefore offers a lot of customizable streaming bundles, making it more difficult to cancel just one service. They even offer a bundle with HBO Max, a rare crossover that includes a streaming service Disney doesn’t own.
If you’re a sports fan, the best bang for your buck right now is to sign up for ESPN Unlimited, the new streaming service that bundles all of its linear channels — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes — in addition to its ESPN on ABC programming and its streaming-only channels (ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, ACCNX).
If you sign up now for $29.99 a month (or $299.99 a year), you get 12 free months of Disney+ and Hulu included, which as of October 21 works out to $155.88 in savings. Disney first announced that offer for ESPN Unlimited back in August, and is not raising that price point for now.
If you don’t care about sports, the ad-supported bundle of Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max is going from $16.99 to $19.99 a month, but is still the best deal the company offers from a non-sports perspective.
Cycling
The more labor-intensive approach to saving money on streaming is to cycle through your subscriptions. If you’re not sure where to start, try keeping track of your nightly viewing habits for a month or two and see which streaming apps you actually use regularly. If you only opened Disney+ once or twice, is it really worth paying $12.99-$18.99 a month?
You can also use our fall TV premiere dates calendar to see when your favorite shows are coming back. If you’re only subscribed to Hulu to watch “Only Murders in the Building,” for example, you can press pause once the final episode airs October 28.
Canceling
The simplest way to save money on streaming, of course, is to cancel one or more of your streaming services. Luckily, there’s a growing number of free streaming services to choose from. I’d personally recommend Tubi, Pluto TV, and Kanopy.
And if you’re still holding onto your cable subscription, Disney has started airing popular streaming shows like “Only Murders” and “Andor” on FX, ABC, and other Disney-owned channels not long after their streaming debut. So if you’re patient, you get the best of both worlds.
Play or Skip
Have a show you can’t stop watching? Email me about it at [email protected], and your recommendation may appear in a future edition of The Queue.
Press play on these movies and shows:
“Boogie Nights” (1997): Paul Thomas Anderson has never made a bad movie, a streak that continues with his newest release, “One Battle After Another.” (You can read my four-star review here.) If you’re not familiar with PTA’s work, a good place to start is his breakthrough film, 1997’s “Boogie Nights.” Mark Wahlberg now says he regrets playing fresh-faced porn star Dirk Diggler, but it’s unquestionably the performance that made directors start taking him seriously as an actor. (Paramount+)
“The Lowdown” (2025): I just told you a dozen different ways to cancel your Hulu subscription, but shows like this one make that easier said than done. Ethan Hawke plays a used bookstore owner moonlighting as an independent reporter who gets into trouble when he begins digging into a recent death in a wealthy Tulsa family. Creator Sterlin Harjo (“Reservoir Dogs”) creates a darkly comic tapestry with echoes of FX’s “Fargo,” anchored by a stellar central performance from Hawke. (Hulu)
“Superman” (2025): After a decade of missteps and false starts, the DC Universe has found its architect with James Gunn, the director of “Superman.” (Read my full review here.) Just as he did with “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Gunn shows us with “Superman” that what separates the good superhero films from the bad isn’t the CGI or the IP: It’s the human touch, typified by a surprisingly relatable Man of Steel in David Corenswet. (HBO Max)
End Credits
That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.
Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!
— Kevin
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