Bundle & Save $5
Basically, you can now bundle ESPN+ and Disney+ with whichever Hulu subscription you want. You choose, and you save $5 a month. That includes ad-supported Hulu, Hulu without ads and the Live TV package. These discounts have been available since the launch in November, but Hulu subscribers can now make the change between plans and bundle packages directly from their Hulu accounts.
The NPD Take:
- This is another step towards the great re-bundling of TV services. The difference now is that the bundles reflect content owned by each media conglomerate and distributed directly to consumers.
- Now that the Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle infrastructure is in place it offers the company more options to provide pricing promotions.
May the Fourth be with you
Disney’s tent-pole release Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is coming to Disney+ 2 months earlier than typical and with it a litany of other Star Wars programming. May 4 has been dubbed, Star Wars Day by fans. The date was chosen for the pun on the catchphrase "May the Force be with you" as "May the Fourth be with you". In celebration the studio is releasing the final chapter in the Star Wars saga and the premiere of the eight-episode documentary series "Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian" and the series finale of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." As viewers are stuck at home, the studio is doing what it can to release new content to keep subscribers engaged.
The NPD Take:
- Expect Netflix streaming to take a hit as millions of viewers focus their attention on Star Wars. Content releases are going to start impacting streaming engagement similar to competitive theatrical releases have had for decades.
- New streaming services such as Disney+ are likely to be challenged by Hollywood production shut downs. This will foster creative approaches like this to keep subscribers engaged.