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Disney is raising prices on most of its streaming services again, and the subtext is clearer than ever: If you’re not bundling, you’re wasting money. The price hikes, which take effect on October 21, push the standalone cost of Disney+ to $12 per month with ads and $19 without, while Hulu’s ad-supported plan is increasing from $10 to $12 per month. While Disney’s various bundles will also cost more, the price hikes for those services aren’t as drastic, and in some cases aren’t increasing at all. (Yes, the timing is terrible, with Disney’s temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel last week leading to a wave of Disney+ and Hulu cancellations, but it’s also coincidental. The company has raised prices every October since 2023, and it told Bloomberg that it planned the latest round months ago.) This was all too easy to see coming. Disney and its peers have latched onto the idea that when people bundle services together, they’re less likely to cancel. They are now taking those incentives to their logical conclusion, in which bundled pricing provides cover for price hikes across the board. Disney price hikes compared Here’s a full list of Disney’s 2025 streaming price hikes, which take effect on or after October 21: Streaming ServiceCurrent PriceNew PriceDisney+ (with ads)$10/mo.$12/mo.Disney+ (no ads)$16/mo.$19/mo.Hulu (with ads)$10/mo.$12/mo.Hulu (no ads)$19/mo.$19/mo.ESPN Select$12/mo.$13/mo.ESPN Unlimited$30/mo.$30/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$11/mo.$13/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$20/mo.$20/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) with ESPN Select$17/mo.$20/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (no ads) with ESPN Select$27/mo.$30/mo.Legacy Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Select$22/mo.$25/mo.ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$36/mo.$36/mo.ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$45/mo.$45/mo.HBO Max with Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$17/mo.$20/mo.HBO Max with Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$30/mo.$33/mo.Hulu + Live TV (includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited)$83/mo.$90/mo.Hulu + Live TV (ad-free Disney+, ad-free Hulu on-demand, and ESPN Unlimited)$96/mo.$99/mo.Some observations: As before, the “Duo” bundle of Disney+ and Hulu is only $1 more than getting either service a la carte, either with or without ads. On their own, Disney+ and Hulu will become $2-per-month pricier with ads, but as a bundle the price only increases by $2 per month total. Although ad-free Disney+ is getting a $3-per-month price hike, the bundled price for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu stays the same. While the cost of Disney’s “Trio” bundles with ESPN Select are increasing by $3 per month, newly launched bundles with ESPN Unlimited (which includes all of ESPN’s cable programming) aren’t changing. (A limited-time promo also knocks the price ESPN Unlimited, Disney+, and Hulu down to $30 per month for one year.) Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently argued that HBO Max is “way underpriced.” Don’t be surprised if the new bundle price accounts for an eventual HBO Max price hike. Pushing bigger bundles The overall trend is similar to what played out with ad-supported streaming plans several years ago. Originally pitched by programmers as a way to bring streaming prices down, in the end they merely provided cover for more price hikes. (To wit: At $12-per-month, Disney+ with ads costs nearly twice what the ad-free version sold for in 2019.) Looking ahead, we’re likely to see a bigger push toward larger TV packages with more streaming services thrown in. An early example is DirecTV’s MyEntertainment plan, which includes ad-supported Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max; plus, a collection of cable news and entertainment channels (no sports or local broadcasts) for $35 per month. The cost for that package is not increasing. Likewise, Spectrum has packed a slew of streaming services into its TV Select plans, whose non-promotional rates start at $125 per month. The streaming offerings include all of Disney’s services, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and AMC+, but of course require paying for an entire cable TV package. Comcast, meanwhile, is doing a $15-per-month bundle of Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ for Xfinity internet customers. That’s only $4 per month more than the standalone cost of Peacock after it drastically raised prices over the summer. Disney’s latest round of price hikes will inevitably push more people toward bundling, and that’s by design. With ever-higher standalone rates, these bundles are starting to feel less like a deal and more like a necessity. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for streaming TV insights. Read...

Right on cue, Disney has teed up a price hike for Disney+, Hulu, and most of its Disney bundles, almost a year to the day after last year’s price hikes. That’s the bad news; the good news is there’s something you can do about it.  The Disney+ and Hulu price hikes are set to hit October 21, and while Hulu’s Premium plan will stay put at $18.99 a month, most other Disney+ and Hulu standalone and bundle plans are slated to jump in price.   Both Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads will get $2-a-month increases to $11.99/month, for example, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium will go up to $18.99 from $15.99. Hulu + Live TV is also getting a price hike ($88.99 starting October 21, up from $81.99/month), as are most Disney Bundles, including the popular Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundles (with ads will go up to $19.99 a month, a $3-a-month increase, while the ad-free version will cost $32.99/month, up from $29.99 a month).  So yes, not great—but if you look closely, there are ways to dodge the upcoming Disney+ and Hulu price hikes. Here are a few strategies.  Sign up for a full year of Disney+ Premium  There’s no annual plan for the ad-supported version of Disney+, but there is for the ad-free Disney+ Premium. And while the annual Disney+ Premium plan is due for a price hike just like the monthly Premium plan is, those price increases don’t hit until October 21.  That means you can sign up now for a year’s worth of Disney+ for the current annual rate of $159.99 (it will be $189.99 a year starting next month), effectively locking in the pre-hike rate for 12 months. Yes, you’ll have to fork over the cash up front, but you’ll be saving money in the long run.  Sign up for a full year of Hulu with ads  Hulu’s annual plan situation is the reverse of Disney+’s; there’s no annual Hulu Premium plan, but there is an annual Hulu with ads plan. That actually works out nicely for this year’s price increases, given it’s Hulu with ads that’s getting a price hike and not Hulu Premium (which will remain at $18.99 a month).  For now, you can snag Hulu with ads for its current annual rate of $99.99 a year, a price that’s slated to go up to $119.99 come October 21.  Sign up for the ESPN Unlimited Bundle  Here’s a price hike-dodging strategy that may appeal most to sports fans. As you may know, Disney recently launched a full-on streaming version of ESPN, complete with all ESPN linear channels and ESPN-on-ABC broadcasts, for $29.99 a month.  If you act before January 5, 2026, you can get a special promo rate for an ESPN Unlimited Bundle that includes ESPN Unlimited, Disney+ with ads, and Hulu with ads, all for the same price: $29.99 a month, with the promo rate locked in for 12 months. In other words, you’re getting ESPN Unlimited for the standard $29.99 a month, plus the with-ads versions of Disney+ and Hulu for free. (A premium version of the bundle with ad-free Disney+ and Hulu goes for $38.99, also locked in for 12 months.)  Get free Disney+ and/or Hulu from your internet or wireless carrier Yet another way to sidestep the Disney+ and Hulu price hikes is to look for deals from your internet or wireless service provider, which might offer free or steeply discounted access to one or both of those streamers as a perk.  For example, Spectrum offers the with-ads versions of Disney+ and Hulu for free to select subscribers, while Verizon Unlimited subscribers can get Disney+ and Hulu as a discounted add-on (the configurations change regularly, so check the fine print). T-Mobile also offers Hulu (with ads) for free on certain plans. Hulu + Live TV plan is also getting a price increase The price for Hulu’s live TV streaming service is also getting an price bump effective October 21. The standard bundle that includes live television, Hulu programming with ads, Disney+ with ads, and ESPN Unlimited is increasing from $82.99 to $89.99. Hulu Premium + Live TV, which eliminates the ads in Hulu and Disney+ programming will cost $99.99. Subscribers who were grandfathered into a Hulu + Live TV plan that included Disney+ without ads and ESPN Select will see a price increase from $87.99 to $89.99, also effective October 21. This plan is no longer offered, so if you have it and cancel it, you can’t get it back. Hulu doesn’t offer annual plans for Hulu + Live TV, so there’s no way to escape the price increase. For the time being, Hulu competitor YouTube TV remains priced at $82.99 per month. We’ll see how long that lasts. Read...

You know what needs upgrading on your desk right now? Not your laptop and not your monitor. I’m talking about your power strip, which tends to get overlooked. Why settle for a conventional clunker when you can level things up with this 8-in-1 Anker Prime charging station? And it’s 33% off on Amazon right now, bringing it down to pretty much its best-ever price: $99.99 (was $149.99). This charging station will seriously simplify your desk and your life. At just 0.7 inches thick and 5.43 inches long, it’s compact and won’t take up much desk space. Plus, it’s flat so it looks sleek and elegant. But the real benefit here is that it sports eight ports: two AC outlets on the face, two USB-A ports along the side, and four USB-C ports along the bottom. Each AC outlet has its own on/off button, plus there’s an LCD display on front that shows you its charging status in real time. Each USB-C port can provide up to 140W of charging on its own, with a total throughput of 240W across all six USB ports (split amongst them when multiple ports are being used simultaneously). This charging station is perfect for plugging in your laptop, phone, monitor, PC, and everything else. Two cherries on top here: first, it connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can check on its charging status via the companion mobile app, and second, it has a detachable power cable so it’s easy to pack up and take with you when you go to hotels and Airbnbs. This 8-in-1 Anker Prime charging station is a real game-changer, so get it now while this superb discount is still available. Save 33% and fast charge 8 devices at once with Anker`s charging stationBuy now at Amazon Read...

If you’re going to get a gaming laptop, why hold back on a budget model when you could spring for an upper-mid-range option with the latest Nvidia features that’ll serve you well for years to come? And if you act now, you can get one without sacrificing an arm and a leg for it. I’m talking about this Lenovo Legion Pro 5 that’s now on sale for $1,449.99 at Best Buy with a snazzy $210 discount. This is a fantastic config that starts with an AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX CPU, bulks up with a whopping 32GB of DDR5 memory, and rounds out with a fast 1TB SSD. That translates into a speedy machine that can handle all your tasks from work to play, and I haven’t even mentioned the kicker yet: a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU that unlocks all the latest Nvidia features like DLSS 4 and more. In a nutshell, the best of modern gaming. It’s a looker too, complete with a vivid 16-inch OLED screen that sports a crisp 2560×1600 resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and a solid 500 nits of brightness. This is a device that’s as gorgeous while watching Netflix as it is while playing games, and it’ll smoothly display those frames without any tearing or skipping. As for ports? You get HDMI, two USB-C video (one with power delivery), three fast USB-A for data, LAN, 3.5mm audio, and a dedicated power connector. Getting an RTX 5060 laptop with specs like this at this price point is a bargain through and through, so get the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for $1,449.99 while this deal is still available! Save $210 on this RTX 5060 laptop with OLED screen and 32GB RAMBuy now at Best Buy Read...

When you’re a gamer, life gets expensive fast. Between your gaming rig and peripherals, console and controllers, games and subscriptions, it’s easy to quickly blow your entire budget and then some – and things are only getting more expensive. G2A.COM is a great place to look for discounts on everything digital, offering to save you money on more than 90,000 games, online subscriptions, e-learning courses, gift cards, PC software, and more. But it seems almost too good to be true, so is G2A.COM safe to use? Trusted by 35 million users in 180 countries G2A.COM isn’t an online shop, it’s a marketplace where buyers and sellers can trade digital items. From game keys to gift cards, and from streaming subscriptions to software licences , you can find pretty much anything and everything digital on the platform. G2A.COM doesn’t buy or sell these digital keys, it simply provides the platform, infrastructure, and payment processing to streamline sales and purchases. Such a marketplace could be littered with would-be scammers, but G2A.COM creates an environment of trust by demanding its sellers undergo strict verification processes before they can sell their digital goods. Payment methods are multiple – with more than 400 global and local methods – and secure, so you’ll find a way to get your in-game gold or whatever else you need without any trouble. Providing a secure platform is a top priority for G2A.COM. It has a cyber defense team that is tasked with continually improving its AI-supported security solutions, providing all sorts of tools to protect users from the moment they enter the site until they are back in their chair, blowing up worlds and decimating their digital enemies, streaming a movie or learning online. Your safe, reliable gateway to digital entertainmentVisit G2A.com G2A.COM Your best gate to play, connecting gamers, developers, and creators G2A.COM does more than facilitate sales, it provides a direct link between developers, publishers, and players, making sure everyone gets a good deal. The company invests in content creators, too, running campaigns that give up-and-coming Twitch personalities more visibility and rewarding viewers. Ultimately, variety and choice is what keeps gamers coming back to G2A.COM, which is the world’s largest online marketplace of its sort. If you’re into Minecraft and want some coins, you can find multiple offers for less than you’d pay elsewhere. Robux for the kids? Available! If you want LoL Riot points, Platinum for Diablo, or Fortnite V-bucks, you’re covered. You can find keys for tens of thousands of titles across all categories, from action to adventure, RPGs to MMOs to sports. You’ll even find keys for the very latest titles, such as Borderlands 4. G2A.COM has more to offer than simply games, it boasts more than 90,000 of digital offerings. You’ll also find online subscriptions, from Spotify to YouTube Premium, Canva to ChatGPT Plus, Duolingo, and even DoorDash DashPass. Computer software is available, too – whether you want a Windows 11 Pro key, Adobe Creative Cloud, or Bitdefender, there’s something for everyone. Got a birthday coming up? Gift cards for Apple, Netflix, PayPal, Amazon and more are all available at G2A.COM – often with some crazy discounts! G2A.COM Exclusive perks with G2A Plus Make G2A.COM your one-stop destination for digital entertainment. Sign up to the free G2A Plus loyalty program to earn points with your purchases and convert them to savings or subscribe to the $2.99/month G2A Plus Premium scheme to unlock monthly rewards, discounts on top titles, exclusive member promotions, plus faster assistance from tech support when you need it. Game more for less with G2A PlusView Offer Read...

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe says the global calendar of Olympic sports may need to be `re-engineered` amid the challenges posed by climate change. Read...

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