Disney reveals SVOD bundle, two-market international roll-out plan

Disney has lifted the lid on its highly anticipated bundle offering for streaming services Disney+, ESPN+ and ad-supported Hulu, and confirmed that Disney+ will launch in two markets outside the US in November. 

Disney boss Bob Iger revealed during the company’s Tuesday (6 August) earnings call following the release of its fiscal Q3 results that all three streaming services will be on offer in the US for $12.99 per month.

The exec said the bundle – which has been the subject of much speculation since Disney+ was first announced – will be available from 12 November, when Disney+ is set to launch.

The business revealed earlier this summer that the standalone price for Disney+ is $6.99, while ad-supported Hulu on its own is $5.99 and ESPN+ is $4.99.

The bundle price is competitive with the monthly fees for Netflix, whose standard two-screen plan costs $13, and Amazon Prime Video, which sets users back $12.99 a month.

It is believed to be cheaper than HBO Max’s expected price of $16 per month.

Disney remains mum on whether the bundle will be made available internationally. If so, it is unlikely that such an offer won’t be in place for a period of time, and certainly not before the individual services clear regional rights. Iger clarified in the call that his team is still “studying opportunities” for Hulu overseas, market by market.

“Obviously, we have designs on growing Hulu outside of the United States but no update on that right now,” he said.

Two-market launch in November

Similarly, plans for the international roll-out of Disney+ also remain minimal, though Iger pointed out that the service will launch in two markets in November, when the platform debuts.

Iger said: “I think two actually are going to launch when we launch Disney+ around the same time, and then over the next two to three years, we’re going to roll out a number of other markets.

“A number of those markets are different than the United States. But what they do share – which is very, very important – is an interest in Marvel, Pixar, Disney, National Geographic and Star Wars. So, the product that’s being made for the platforms travels globally, and that’s a big deal.”

Iger said the business will “augment” the Disney+ offering in certain markets with local programming to meet quotas – such as the European content quotas of 30% local content for OTT services – and will also “enter into discussions on an international basis market-by-market with local distributors as well”.

The service is expected to launch “in multiple international markets within two years,” according to Iger.