Verizon Expands Disney Partnership, Offering Some Wireless Customers Free Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu

Disney and Verizon are expanding their marketing partnership, offering Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle at no charge for subscribers of wireless plans.

August 17, 2020

Upon the arrival of Disney+ last year, the House of Mouse partnered with Verizon to give existing customers a year subscription to the streaming service. Now the two companies are expanding their partnership, offering Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle at no charge for subscribers of the Play More or Get More unlimited plans.

As Deadline reports, the Play More and Get More unlimited plans are Verizon's most expensive packages at $45 and $55 before taxes and fees respectively, but subscribers will get access to all three streaming services indefinitely. Essentially, they will be able to hold onto the benefits of free Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ as long as they stay subscribed. In the three-service bundle, consumers would have to pay $13 a month, otherwise, or $19 if subscribed individually.

"The addition of The Disney Bundle to our agreement with Verizon reinforces our commitment to providing their subscribers with access to high-quality entertainment from Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+," said Disney's EVP of Platform Distribution, Sean Breen. "We are always looking for the most advantageous ways for consumers to experience our content and we are pleased to work with Verizon so that they can provide their customers with these appealing new offers."

The new plans will go into effect on Aug. 20, and existing customers who currently receive 12 months free of Disney+ can move onto the new unlimited plans or add the bundle to their current plan for $6 extra. "It beat our expectations, even though we had high expectations," said Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, who noted that Verizon accounted for over 20 percent of new subscriptions within the first two months.