Trump Administration to Launch Voluntary AI Standards for Frontier Models 
Paramount’s $108.4B Hostile Bid for Warner Bros Discovery Signals Major Shift in Hollywood 
Mexico Probes Miss Universe President Raul Rocha Over Alleged Criminal Links 
Apple Expands iPhone Lineup, Boosts Foldable iPhone Production Plans Through 2027 
Trump Proposes Two-Year Shutdown of Kennedy Center Amid Ongoing Turmoil 
Anderson Cooper to Exit CBS News’ 60 Minutes After Nearly 20 Years 
Jazz Ensemble Cancels Kennedy Center New Year’s Eve Shows After Trump Renaming Sparks Backlash 
FCC Chair Brendan Carr to Testify Before Senate Commerce Committee Amid Disney-ABC Controversy 
Kuaishou Stock Jumps as Kling AI Secures $2 Billion Funding Round 
Switch Seeks $2 Billion Funding at Nearly $50 Billion Valuation Ahead of Potential IPO 
OpenAI Proposes 5% U.S. Government Stake Amid AI Policy Talks 
Samsung to Invest $90 Billion in South Korea to Expand AI Chip, Display, and Battery Production 
Disney’s Streaming Growth Hinges on International Expansion and Local Content 
ShareChat Eyes 2027 IPO After Reaching Operational Profitability, Report Says 
Gulf Sovereign Funds Unite in Paramount–Skydance Bid for Warner Bros Discovery 
Baidu Shares Rally as Kunlunxin Eyes $50 Billion Hong Kong IPO 
After a cryptic Twitter post, Microsoft announced that the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription will include access to Disney+ this holiday. The promo, interestingly, coincides with the retail launch of Xbox Series X/S consoles and the much-awaited premiere of “The Mandalorian” season 2.
Microsoft confirms free Disney+ for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers
Xbox fans had already suspected the addition of Disney+ as one of the new perks of Xbox Game Pass subscription following a cryptic tweet last Sunday. The video game subscription service’s official Twitter page has been known to release creative teasers before major announcements.
People then immediately considered the possibility of having Disney+ access through Xbox Game Pass when its official Twitter page posted an image from the popular Disney+ original series “The Mandalorian.” It was not difficult to deduce that the tweet had something to do with an Xbox and Disney partnership, especially as it was captioned, “All we're gonna say is that we're not posting The Mandalorian and The Child for no reason.”
All we're gonna say is that we're not posting The Mandalorian and The Child for no reason pic.twitter.com/LK5iDuzDcn
— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) November 8, 2020
Microsoft confirmed those suspicions with an official announcement on Monday that the newest perk included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs $14.99 per month, is 30-day access to all Disney+ media content. Members will have until Jan. 31, 2021 to claim the promo, but they can redeem it before March 2 next year.
New Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perks bring back free Disney+ trial
Microsoft and Disney’s new partnership also practically brings back the Disney+ 30-day free trial. The promo was offered for new subscribers of the media streaming platform until it was removed last June. This can be redeemed through the Perks Gallery on Xbox consoles and the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on Android and iOS. Like in the original form, Ultimate subscribers need to be new Disney+ users to enjoy this freebie as well.
After the free trial period or the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perk, subscribers will have to pay for the regular price of the Disney+ subscription in succeeding months. Disney+ costs $6.99 per month, but the platform also offers the Disney Bundle for $12.99 per month that includes the streaming service’s library, ad-supported access to Hulu, and ESPN+. It should also be noted that Disney+ is only currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Featured photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
