Latest news! Apple TV+ raises its prices, Amazon Prime Video includes new additional plans, Netflix and NFL+ partner with Verizon, and more
Reviewed by Multiscreens+ | Prices, Plans & BundlesToday, our team of experts works analyzing more than 2,600 streaming platforms in more than 140 countries around the world, detecting every day any changes in prices, new offers and commercial alliances. Our commitment is to provide accurate and updated information optimizing your experience in the streaming market. With us, you will have access to a comprehensive analysis that will allow you to always be one step ahead of your competitors and enjoy all the news of the market.
New Disney+ plans
Starting on November 1, following the model of Disney+ in the United States where the ad-supported option was introduced, the platform launched new plans in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Denmark. The Walt Disney Company has announced this global expansion of Disney+ with ads, along with Standard plans that offer various features. This way, users who opt for the ad-supported plans can save approximately 33%.
This move toward including advertising in streaming platforms is spreading, with other services like Netflix, Hulu, and Discovery+ following this trend globally. The benefits are significant: platforms can attract a more diverse audience, including those who cannot afford premium subscriptions, while generating additional revenue through advertising, which can be reinvested in the production and improvement of the quality of movies and series. Additionally, it offers users the flexibility to choose the model that best fits their preferences and budget.
In countries where these new plans will not be implemented, an increase in the prices of existing subscriptions is likely. For example, in Portugal and Ireland, monthly prices will go from EUR 8.99 to EUR 10.99, and annual subscriptions will increase from EUR 89.90 to EUR 109.99.
Apple TV+ increases its prices
On October 26, Apple TV+ in the United States experienced an increase in its monthly fee, going from USD 6.99 to USD 9.99, representing a 42.92% increase. This price change hadn’t occurred since October of the previous year. Additionally, a significant increase was observed in many regions around the world. These changes reflect Apple TV+’s new pricing strategy in response to market dynamics and the content offerings on its platform.
New additional plans for Amazon Prime Video
On October 24, Amazon Prime Video announced the launch of a new additional plan in the United States and the United Kingdom, offering access to the popular anime platform Crunchyroll. In the United States, this additional service is available for just USD 7.99, while in the United Kingdom, it is offered at a cost of GBP 4.99. Additionally, a 7-day free trial is offered to allow users to try the service before committing.
On the other hand, Atresmedia, the prominent Spanish broadcaster, has announced a strategic collaboration that promises to change the streaming landscape in Latin America. Their streaming service, Atresplayer, is now included in the additional plans of Amazon Prime Video. This agreement, which is already in effect in Mexico at a cost of MXN 99 per month (USD 5.49), offers users a 7-day free trial. It’s important to note that the OTT (Over-The-Top) service maintains the same price and offering as when subscribed to independently in the country. In Latin America, the additional plans of Amazon Prime Video are available in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.
At the same time, on October 25 in Brazil, the launch of an additional plan for NBA League Pass was observed, with a price of BRL 54.90, matching the rate offered by the NBA League Pass platform.
From the service provider’s perspective, this strategy not only allows them to increase their subscriber base and generate additional revenue but also strengthens their competitive position in the streaming market. All of this translates into a more enriching and accessible user experience, as consumers can now enjoy a wide variety of high-quality content more conveniently and easily.
Changes in the Premium and Basic plans of Netflix
On October 18, a significant increase in the prices of Netflix Premium plans was observed in several countries. This plan offers an ad-free subscription in UHD definition and can be viewed on up to 4 devices simultaneously.
In the United States, the plan that used to cost USD 19.99 now rises to USD 22.99 (a 15% increase), a change that hadn’t occurred since January 2022. In the United Kingdom, the price of the plan has risen from GBP 15.99 to GBP 17.99 (a 12.51% increase), and it hadn’t been modified since March 2022. In France, the Premium plan increased from EUR 17.99 to EUR 19.99 (an 11.12% increase), and this plan hadn’t seen changes since November 2021. Additionally, in this country, the Basic plan, which allows viewing in HD definition on a single device, increased from EUR 8.99 to EUR 10.99 (a 22% increase), and it also hadn’t been modified since November 2021.
On the other hand, in countries where the Standard plan with advertising is available, such as Germany, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Italy, and Japan, the Basic plan is no longer available for new subscribers, following the events that occurred in Canada in mid-June and in the United States and the United Kingdom on July 19. This change has widened the gap between the prices of different Netflix plans, which could provide an incentive to promote the ad-supported plan.
Peacock partners with MasterCard to offer discounts
On October 16, it was observed that the streaming platform Peacock, owned by Comcast, is expanding its business partnerships in the United States. Starting from mid-October, any holder of a Mastercard World or World Elite card can take advantage of a discount of up to 50% when subscribing annually to Peacock Premium (priced at USD 59.99) or Premium Plus (USD 119.99). This offer will be available until March 2025.
It’s important to note that MasterCard already had similar agreements in Latin American countries, offering a 50% discount for HBO Max subscriptions, although this partnership was available until the end of August. This suggests that Peacock is beginning to explore the world of business partnerships, especially given that it doesn’t have many prior agreements, except for some with telecommunications companies. This trend could indicate the possibility of Peacock seeking strategic collaborations with other companies to expand its service offerings and attract new customers.
Price increases in Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ in the United States
The price increases in The Walt Disney Company’s streaming services took effect on October 12th. It’s worth noting that the ad-free plans of Disney+ have not seen price increases since December 2022. Similarly, the monthly ad-free Hulu plan has remained unchanged since October 2022. Additionally, both the monthly and annual subscriptions for ESPN+ have not experienced price increases since August 2022.
It’s important to highlight that the bundles that combine all three streaming platforms, whether with or without ads, have also maintained their prices unchanged since their launch in December 2022.
New plans and price updates on OnDemandKorea
On October 10, OnDemandKorea, the Korean content streaming service in North and South America, made significant adjustments to its plan offerings to align with global trends and cater to its users’ needs.
The platform introduced two new plans. The first one is the Standard plan, which provides unlimited access to content but with ads. This plan is available at a monthly fee of USD 7.99 or an annual fee of USD 79.99. The second newly launched plan is the Family plan, offering ad-free access and the ability to create up to 4 profiles for simultaneous viewing. This plan has a monthly cost of USD 16.99 and an annual option of USD 169.99.
In addition to these changes, OnDemandKorea has retained its Premium plan, which offers ad-free access and allows the creation of up to 2 profiles with simultaneous viewing. However, this plan has seen an increase in its monthly fee, going from USD 10.99 to USD 13.99, and its annual fee also increased from USD 109.99 to USD 139.99, representing a 27% increase from the previous price.
These adjustments in the plan offerings have been accompanied by the launch of the new ad-supported and family plans, providing OnDemandKorea users with a broader range of options to enjoy their favorite Korean content. These changes demonstrate the platform’s willingness to adapt to its audience’s preferences and offer flexible choices that align with current trends in the world of content streaming.
C More and MTV Katsomo will merge
Starting on October 10, the streaming landscape in Finland is renewed with the launch of the new service MTV Katsomo. The C More platform completes its migration to MTV, joining forces to offer a broader and more diverse streaming experience and attract new users, providing a wide variety of high-quality content ranging from entertainment and drama to news, current affairs programs, series, and sports events. Users will need to download the MTV Katsomo app on their devices and access it with their C More credentials.
Additionally, MTV Katsomo now offers a range of plans to cater to your preferences, including a completely free plan with ads. The monthly plans for this new OTT platform maintain the same prices as C More, with a monthly plan including ads priced at EUR 6.95 per month and a monthly ad-free plan for EUR 12.95 per month. As for the sports content plan with ads, it is offered for EUR 36.95 per month, while the ad-free sports plan is available for EUR 42.95 per month.
New sports channels on Max
After adding the live news channel CNN Max in September, the American platform Max has decided to include sports channels for free in all its plans starting from October 5. These channels will offer a wide range of sporting events, including the NBA, NHL, NCAA March Madness, MLB, Postseason, and U.S. Soccer.
It’s worth noting that due to the recent popularity of live streaming services, Warner Bros. Discovery continues to implement a strategy that provides users with the opportunity to access live broadcast signals, allowing them to stay informed about current events without requiring a cable subscription.
Sky Mexico launches new Sky+ plans
On October 3, Sky, the satellite TV company owned by Grupo Televisa and AT&T Mexico, launched new Sky+ plans that combine cable TV channels with streaming platforms in Mexico. They offer 2 packages: Basic, priced at MXN 299 per month, and Premium at MXN 499 per month. Both plans include subscriptions to content from various platforms, such as ViX Premium, Star+, and HBO Max. It’s important to note that these platforms are included until December 31, after which users will need to subscribe to them individually.
This strategic approach by the company aligns with the current trend where consumers are choosing to cancel their cable TV subscriptions in favor of streaming packages. Sky Mexico has strengthened its business partnerships with some of the country’s most prominent platforms to offer an attractive proposition to its users. It’s worth noting that each individual OTT has a significant cost: ViX Premium at MXN 119, Star+ at MXN 219, and HBO Max at MXN 179. Therefore, the Sky+ plans allow users to save a considerable percentage by combining TV channels and these OTTs.
This integration approach between channels and OTTs follows the trend that other Mexican companies, like Megacable, adopted last month, including the subscription of Netflix’s Standard plan with ads in several of their plans. In a context of the continued growth of streaming services, it’s essential for satellite TV companies to adapt to the new market preferences. Offering streaming platforms as part of their plans can contribute to increased customer satisfaction, improved user experience, greater visibility and promotion of the telecommunications company, and effective competition with other streaming services.
New Ad-supported plan on AMC+
In early October, it was observed in the United States that AMC+ launched its new ad-supported plan at a price of USD 4.99, offering a 44.49% savings compared to the ad-free monthly subscription, which costs USD 8.99 (or USD 83.88 annually). The platform offers a wide range of content, including titles like “Interview With The Vampire,” “Killing Eve,” “Mad Men,” and the entire “The Walking Dead” universe, as well as the complete catalogs of Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited.
This move by AMC+ adds to the trend seen in services like Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery+, and more recently Filmbox+, which began offering an ad-supported plan at the end of August. These ad-supported plans can benefit both OTT providers and users.
The Pro plans of Showmax in Africa are gone
Showmax, the sub-Saharan African platform owned by MultiChoice Group Ltd, is known for offering the most prominent original content from the region, as well as popular international movies and series like “Mamma Mia,” “Vikings,” and “Mr. Robot.” In early October, the African platform completely discontinued its Pro plans, both the web and mobile device options. These plans used to broadcast live sporting events such as football matches, athletics competitions, marathons, and professional boxing bouts. Additionally, Showmax Pro included a wide variety of sports-related magazines and interview programs, live music, and news channels.
These significant changes in Showmax are part of the platform’s renewal process as it prepares for a relaunch in the future.
The price of the Ad Free plan of Discovery+ increases in the United States
In the early days of October, Discovery+ announced an increase in the cost of its ad-free plan, going from USD 6.99 to USD 8.99 per month, representing a 28.61% increase. However, it’s important to note that the ad-supported plan remains unchanged at USD 4.99 per month. This move seems to promote the ad-supported option as a more affordable alternative for users, as the gap between the two plans widens. This is the first price increase for Discovery+ since 2021. This platform allows users to stream content on a variety of devices, including mobile devices, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. It also offers a 7-day free trial.
It’s worth mentioning that in Europe, specifically in Italy, a price increase was recorded at the end of September for both ad-supported and ad-free plans, indicating a trend of price adjustments in certain countries.
New partnership between Netflix and NFL+ with Verizon
Starting in October, mobile and internet service provider Verizon now offers a bundle that includes the ad-free Premium subscription of Netflix and the ad-free Premium plan of NFL+. For a limited time, both OTTs can be obtained for just USD 24.99 per month through Verizon’s +play subscription hub. A month of Netflix Premium is priced at USD 22.99, while a month of NFL+ Premium costs USD 14.99. Therefore, this bundle can save users approximately USD 13 per month.
This strategy significantly simplifies the subscription and billing process, resulting in increased customer attraction and retention for those who might otherwise have opted for a single platform. Moreover, this collaboration between OTTs benefits not only users but also expands the exposure of these platforms to new audiences who might not have considered their services individually.
New partnerships of Movistar with Disney+ and Star+
Movistar in Colombia has taken a step forward in enriching its service offerings as of October. It now includes Disney+ and Star+ for free in its home plans, which cover Fixed Internet and TV. This decision complements the option that has been available since 2022, allowing users to bill these services through Movistar. Additionally, the telecommunications company has established commercial agreements with other streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max, further expanding content options for its customers.
The prices for these plans vary, ranging from COP 79,990 to COP 385,990, providing customers with a wide range of options to meet their entertainment needs. This strategic partnership allows users to access both Movistar’s services and Disney+ and Star+ in one place, offering convenience and flexibility while strengthening Movistar’s position as one of the leading telecommunications companies in the country.
New partnership with ViX Premium on Mercado Libre Mexico
Mercado Libre, the e-commerce company, continues to expand its commercial partnerships in the world of streaming in Mexico. Now, Mexican users of this service will have the opportunity to subscribe directly to ViX’s Premium plan, the popular Spanish-language streaming platform from TelevisaUnivision. Those who choose this option will receive a 15% discount on ViX’s monthly fee. And for those who are already members of Mercado Libre’s loyalty program, Meli+, a 30% discount will be offered. The monthly plan is priced at MXN 119. Mercado Libre had already established similar agreements to offer other streaming services such as HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney+, and Star+. In this way, the platform consolidates itself as one of the companies with the most influence in the region, offering its users a variety of OTT options through its company.
Note: The prices listed in this message are those reported by the streaming platforms.
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