Disney+ & Hulu skirt iOS' 30% commission like Netflix and Spotify: no new subscribers on Apple's system
More streaming platforms are leaving iOS' payment system.
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Key notes
- Disney+ and Hulu no longer allow new subscriptions through Apple’s iOS payment system.
- You must now subscribe via the streaming services’ websites to avoid Apple’s 15-30% commission.
- Existing subscribers paying through iOS are not affected by this change.
Disney+ & Hulu, two of the most popular streaming services, won’t let you subscribe if you pay using Apple iOS’ payment system anymore. That’s only for new subscribers, and it won’t concern you if you’re already on these services and pay via the iOS system.
Folks over at MacRumors first spotted a lengthy Reddit thread of users complaining about the issue. Users now will be redirected to the websites instead of filing their data & using Apple’s system. You can also see details about this on the Disney+ and Hulu websites.
The Cupertino tech giant has quite a demanding commission for in-app transactions, which seemingly prompted such a decision by these streaming platforms. On iOS, Apple takes at least 15% all the way up to 30% commission on in-app subscriptions.
“New and returning subscribers are no longer able to sign up and pay for Disney+ through Apple,” the disclaimer reads. It adds, “These changes do not impact existing Apple-billed subscribers” with a link to Apple Support’s page for more information.
But honestly, that’s not very surprising. It’s a domino effect we can’t avoid: Netflix stopped allowing new subscribers earlier this year, and so did Spotify. The popular music-streaming platform has even started displaying subscription pricing and promos on iOS and iPadOS following a complaint from Spotify and a €1.8 billion antitrust fine against Apple.
And the list goes on. Patreon earlier announced that creators who sell memberships via the iOS app can automatically raise prices to make up for Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, starting next month (November 2024).
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