Yes, Disney Plus cancellations are real and measurable

Disney Plus has lost millions of subscribers over the past two years. The company reported 150.2 million subscribers at the end of 2023, down from a peak of around 160 million in late 2022. In early 2024, Disney disclosed that subscriber losses continued, though the rate of decline has slowed. These are not projections or estimates — Disney reports these numbers to investors every quarter, and the trend is visible in their official financial statements.

The cancellations are happening across all regions where Disney Plus operates, though the severity varies. In the United States and Canada, the losses have been steeper than in other markets. Disney's own executives have acknowledged the trend publicly and have tied it to specific business decisions the company made.

Key Takeaways

  • Disney Plus lost roughly 10 million subscribers between late 2022 and late 2023, a decline the company publicly reported to investors.
  • Price increases — including the introduction of an ad-supported tier and higher costs for ad-free viewing — drove a significant portion of cancellations.
  • Password sharing restrictions, implemented in 2023, caused an immediate spike in cancellations when the policy took effect.
  • Content gaps, particularly fewer new releases and longer waits between seasons, have made the service less appealing to some subscribers.
  • Competition from other streaming services, combined with subscription fatigue, has made people more willing to drop services they use occasionally.

Price increases and the ad-supported tier pushed people away

Disney Plus raised prices multiple times between 2022 and 2024. In December 2022, the company introduced a new ad-supported plan at $7.99 per month, while raising the ad-free plan from $10.99 to $13.99 per month. In October 2023, prices went up again: the ad-free plan moved to $13.99 (where it stayed) but the ad-supported plan increased to $7.99, and a new premium ad-free tier was introduced at $14.99 per month for 4K content.

These increases happened faster than subscribers expected. Many people who had signed up at the original $7.99 monthly rate suddenly faced a 75 percent jump in price. The ad-supported tier was meant to offer a cheaper alternative, but it came with restrictions: lower video quality, fewer simultaneous streams, and ads interrupting shows and movies. For subscribers who wanted the same experience they had paid for originally, the only option was to pay significantly more.

The timing mattered. Disney raised prices while the service still had content gaps — new releases were less frequent than they had been at launch, and some popular shows had long waits between seasons. Subscribers felt they were paying more for less, which made cancellation an easier decision.

Password sharing restrictions created an immediate wave of cancellations

In May 2023, Disney Plus began enforcing restrictions on password sharing. The policy required that people living in the same household share an account, and people outside the household had to pay for their own subscription. Disney gave subscribers a grace period, but when the enforcement date arrived, many people who had been sharing passwords with family members in other homes had to choose: pay for a second account or cancel.

This policy change was particularly unpopular because it felt like a sudden removal of a benefit people had been using. Unlike a price increase, which affects everyone gradually, the password sharing crackdown forced specific households to make an immediate decision. Disney saw a spike in cancellations directly tied to this enforcement period, which the company later acknowledged in investor calls.

Other streaming services had already implemented similar policies, so subscribers knew this was an industry-wide shift. But that did not make it feel less restrictive. Some people chose to cancel rather than pay for multiple accounts, especially if they were already considering dropping the service due to price or content concerns.

Content gaps and release schedules made the service feel less essential

When Disney Plus launched in 2019, the service released new content regularly and had a deep library of existing films and shows. Over time, the pace of new releases slowed. Some popular shows had gaps of a year or more between seasons. New movies were released less frequently than subscribers expected, and some content that had been promised took longer to arrive.

This mattered because streaming services live or die on the perception that there is something new to watch. If a subscriber checks the app and sees nothing they want to watch, they are more likely to cancel. Disney Plus became something people subscribed to occasionally — to watch a specific show or movie — rather than something they kept year-round. That shift in perception made cancellation feel less painful.

The company has acknowledged this issue and has committed to increasing the pace of releases. But the damage to subscriber retention had already been done. People who cancelled during the content gap period did not automatically return when new shows arrived.

Subscription fatigue and competition from other services

Disney Plus does not exist in isolation. Most people who subscribe to streaming services subscribe to multiple services at once — Netflix, Hulu, Max, Paramount Plus, and others. The total cost of maintaining subscriptions to all of these services can exceed $100 per month, which has pushed many households to make hard choices about which services to keep.

When a subscriber has to choose between keeping Disney Plus and keeping Netflix or Max, the decision often comes down to which service they use most frequently. For people who watch Marvel and Star Wars content occasionally but watch other content daily, cancelling Disney Plus becomes the logical choice. The service went from being a must-have to being a nice-to-have.

This is not unique to Disney Plus. Most streaming services have seen subscriber churn increase as the total cost of subscriptions has risen. The difference is that Disney Plus had a period of rapid growth followed by a decline, which made the trend more visible in the company's public reports.

What Disney is doing to slow cancellations

Disney has made several changes in response to the cancellation trend. The company has increased the pace of content releases, particularly for Marvel and Star Wars shows. It has also introduced bundle pricing that combines Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus at a lower combined cost than subscribing to each service separately. This bundle strategy is designed to make the services feel more essential by offering a wider range of content.

The company has also signaled that it will be more selective about which shows get renewed. This is partly a cost-cutting measure, but it also reflects an attempt to focus on content that drives subscriptions rather than content that appeals to a smaller audience. Whether these changes will reverse the cancellation trend remains to be seen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Disney Plus still losing subscribers?

Disney reported that subscriber losses slowed in late 2023 and early 2024, but the service has not returned to growth. The company has stated that it expects to return to subscriber growth, but this has not yet happened in the most recent reports. The trend is moving in a better direction, but the service is not yet gaining subscribers back.

Will Disney Plus prices go up again?

Disney has not announced another price increase, but the company has a history of raising prices every 12 to 18 months. Whether another increase happens depends on the company's financial performance and its ability to grow subscribers without raising prices. No specific date or amount has been announced.

Can I get a cheaper Disney Plus plan?

Disney Plus offers an ad-supported plan at $7.99 per month, which is the cheapest option. The company also offers a bundle that combines Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus at a lower combined cost than subscribing to each service separately. The bundle with ads is the least expensive option overall.

Should I cancel Disney Plus?

That depends on how much you use the service. If you watch Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, or National Geographic content regularly, keeping the subscription makes sense. If you subscribe mainly for one show and you have already watched it, cancelling and resubscribing later when new content arrives is a reasonable approach. Many people now treat streaming services as something to subscribe to temporarily rather than year-round.

Why did Disney Plus introduce ads if people hate them?

The ad-supported tier was designed to offer a cheaper option for price-sensitive subscribers. Disney also benefits from the advertising revenue, which helps offset the cost of producing content. The company was betting that some subscribers would accept ads in exchange for a lower price, while others would pay more to avoid them. The strategy has worked partially, but it also frustrated subscribers who felt forced to choose between paying more or accepting ads.