From the outside, it looks like Disney has becoming more and more greedy. Following the recent price increases, the giant made another step toward consolidating its revenue by cutting out the middleman and trying to sell its services directly.
What Disney decided to do after making all its streaming plans more expensive is to completely ditch App Store in-app purchase billing for Disney+ and Hulu. This means that the company no longer has to pay the 30 percent fee to Apple for helping with sales of its services, but it also means that customers will now have to use Disney’s website to pay for Disney+ and Hulu.
Having a monopoly on the distribution of services and apps in an ecosystem you have created might be annoying for other companies since they’re forced to pay a hefty amount for every transaction.
However, using a single platform to pay for all your services is a lot more convenient for customers. Not to mention that having your personal data stored on multiple platforms makes it more prone to hacking.
Disney+ on mobile | Image credit: PhoneArena
If not for Apple’s 30 percent free on every transaction, this wouldn’t have happened. On the bright side, if you’re already an Apple-billed subscriber for either Disney+ or Hulu, you will continue to be billed through Apple and can manage your account using Apple Subscription settings.
As far as new and returning subscribers are concerned, they will no longer be able to sign up and pay for Disney+ and Hulu through Apple. The websites of both these services have been updated to reflect these changes (via MacRumors).
Disney also mentions that Apple-billed subscribers can update their payment info through iTunes using a computer or an iOS device. If for whatever reason you decide that you don’t want to be billed by Apple any longer, you will have to subscribe directly through Disney+ and/or Hulu.
Hulu on mobile | Image credit: PhoneArena
To sum it all up, if you’re an Apple-billed Disney+ or Hulu subscriber, you will not be impacted by these changes. If you’re a new or returning subscriber, you will no longer be able to sign up and pay for these services via the App Store. In both cases, you can still watch content on Apple devices just like you did before.
It’s also important to mention that neither Disney+ nor Hulu will be eligible for Apple’s Video Partner Program, which reduced the App Store fees by half to just 15 percent and helped advertise the streaming platforms through Siri and Universal Search.
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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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