GoKawiil
Tech News
Netflix currently offers three subscription tiers: Standard with ads at $8.99 per month, Standard at $19.99 per month, and Premium at $26.99 per month with 4K streaming and multi-device access. This compares with Netflix's 2007 top-tier plan, which cost $16.99 monthly for three DVDs at a time plus 18 hours of streaming limited to 1,000 titles in low quality, viewable only on Windows PCs.
Discovery+ has increased its ad-free plan from $10 to $12 per month and its ad-supported tier from $6 to $7, effective immediately for new subscribers. Existing subscribers will see the new rates applied starting with bills issued on or after November 12, following a 30-day notice period.
Disney has raised prices on most Disney+ and Hulu subscription tiers effective immediately. Ad-free Disney+ and Hulu Premium plans jump from $18.99 to $21.49 monthly, while ad-supported plans increase by 50 cents to $12.49. The combined Disney+/Hulu Premium bundle is expected to rise to $21.99, though it still displayed the old $19.99 price at publication.
Disney Plus revised its subscriber agreement in Europe, sparking confusion that ads would now appear across all its plans globally. In reality, ad-free Standard and Premium subscribers in Europe and the US see no change to their viewing experience under the updated terms.
Disney+ amended its Subscriber Agreement in January 2025 to allow advertisements to appear even on plans marketed as "no ads" or "ad-free." Section 2(k) of the new agreement carves out exceptions where ads can run due to streaming rights restrictions, live events, or other limitations, despite the premium tier's original all-ad-free marketing.
Microsoft has filed a patent for a content management system that inserts ads into games during natural downtimes, such as after boss fights, during loading screens, or in menus. The game freezes while an ad plays, and watching it grants the player a fresh block of ad-free playtime before the cycle repeats.