TORONTO — Disney Plus is raising the price of its monthly subscription by $3 in Canada next year, but the hike will come with the addition of a new portal of entertainment.
The home of Disney, Pixar and Marvel franchises says it will introduce Star, the international version of its U.S. Hulu brand, on the existing Disney Plus platform in February.
Star will serve up thousands of hours from Disney's TV wing, 20th Century Studios and the FX channel, but it won't be charged as an additional service.
Instead, Disney Plus says it'll increase its monthly price from $8.99 to $11.99 for all Canadian users on Feb 23, 2021, the same time Star appears on the platform's main page.
Disney didn't outline specific titles that will be available on Star in Canada, but it has a massive catalogue to pull from.
Its selection could span blockbusters, from "Die Hard" and "The Shape of Water" to recent FX TV mini-series such as "Devs" and "Mrs. America."
The company also promised 35 first-run series will premiere within a year of the launch date for Star, which is an entirely different streaming option than Starz, a brand licensed by Bell Media in Canada.
Disney announced the Star rollout during its investor day on Thursday, which offered a showcase for dozens of upcoming titles headed to the streaming platform in the coming years.
Among them is "Captain Marvel 2," a film co-starring Iman Vellani of Markham, Ont., and "She-Hulk," with Regina, Sask. native Tatiana Maslany.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2020.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
