Disney+ is getting new content and a new price

From February 23, Disney+ customers will be able to access new content from Disney’s latest entertainment brand Star, but the extra titles won’t be free.

Star will launch in Australia with 155 TV series and close to 450 movies as well as four originals exclusive to the platform. Most of the new Disney+ content comes from Fox Entertainment with titles such as Bob’s Burgers, American Dad, and the most of the Alien franchise - cementing the Xenomorph's position as a Disney princess.

Subscribers will now pay $11.99 per month for the service or $119 per year, up from $8.99 monthly or $89.99 for the yearly membership. While this is a substantial increase, the addition of Star content all but doubles the current Disney+ library making a $3 price hike more palatable.

$11.99 is more in line with the price of competing streaming services Netflix, Stan and Binge although where the later have tiered pricing structures, Disney+ has just the one monthly option. 

Australian customers who subscribed before February 23 will have a six-month grace period during which the original pricing will continue to be honoured. From 22 August 2021, all subscribers whether paying monthly or annually will be bumped up to the new price structure.

Disney+ will join Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ by introducing its own original content dubbed Star Originals. The four originals that will grace our screens from February 23 are Big Sky, Love, Victor, Helstrom, and Solar Opposites.’

Big Sky comes from David E. Kelley, known for Big Little Lies and The Undoing - we are legitimately surprised Nicole Kidman isn’t headlining this one.

Love, Victor is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, the minds behind tragic drama This Is Us.

Solar Opposites joins the ranks of adult animation and is co-created by Justin Roiland, known best for Rick and Morty, and Mike McMahan.

Helstrom is a drama series executive produced by Paul Zbyszewski who produced the twists and turns of the epic TV series Lost.

These originals span some interesting territory, but with big name writers, producers and of course Disney backing them we’re keen to see how they unfold.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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