September 28, 2026, 6:26 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Disney+ is getting more expensive again. The streaming service has raised its prices in the U.S. In Germany, the old rates still apply for now. In recent years, price adjustments in Germany have sometimes followed shortly after. TECHBOOK has all the details.
Since September 23, 2026, higher prices have been in effect for new customers in the U.S., reports the U.S. industry magazine “Variety.” Subscribers will have to dig deeper into their pockets, especially for the ad-free premium subscription. For existing customers, the new prices apply with the next billing cycle.
Disney+ Significantly Raises Prices
Disney is increasing the monthly price of its subscriptions by up to $2.50, or about 13 percent. As the tech magazine “ArsTechnica” reports, the ad-free Disney+ subscription now costs more than the ad-free offering from Netflix.
The plan with ads is also getting more expensive. However, the increase here is significantly lower at 50 cents. The new prices at a glance:
- Disney+ with ads: from $11.99 to $12.49
- Disney+ Premium: from $18.99 to $21.49
- Disney+ Premium annual subscription: $214.99
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Higher Prices Could Also Reach Germany
This is not the first adjustment in a short period. According to “Variety,” Disney has increased the prices of its streaming offerings in the U.S. for the fourth time in four years. “Heise” provides a comparison: Before the price increase in fall 2023, the ad-free Disney+ cost $11 per month. At the U.S. market launch in 2019, it was $7.
Officially, Disney has not yet announced another price increase for Germany. However, a look at recent years shows that developments in the U.S. could also be relevant for German subscribers. In August 2023, Disney announced higher prices for the U.S. Changes for Germany followed as early as October 2023. In 2025, developments in both markets were closely aligned in time.
Whether Disney will follow this pattern again is uncertain. The higher U.S. prices alone do not imply further increases in Germany. There is no corresponding announcement from the company yet.
Another Increase Could Be Tricky This Time
Additionally, Disney+ in Germany is currently facing another issue. A patent dispute with the U.S. company InterDigital led to the streaming service having to temporarily restrict several features of its offering. TECHBOOK reported: Disney is to pay a fine of 101.7 million euros
At the beginning of 2026, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and 3D content initially disappeared from the German offering. By the end of July, 4K and HDR were also temporarily unavailable. As a result, even premium customers were temporarily offered only a maximum resolution of 1080p and SDR. Disney has since managed to restore at least some of the restrictions. Since early August, the streaming service has been gradually making 4K UHD available again.
Also of interest: Everyone will get ads on Disney+ in the future
The restrictions even temporarily affected existing contracts. After 4K was removed, Disney granted affected premium subscribers in Germany a special termination right.
This makes the current situation significantly different from previous price increases. If Disney were to raise prices again in Germany soon, the company would have to implement a higher price precisely at a time when not all previously offered premium features are fully available. This could make it more challenging to make another price increase appealing to subscribers.