More than a year after introducing its “Hulu on Disney Plus” experience in the U.S., The Walt Disney Company announced Wednesday that it will fully merge Hulu into Disney Plus — a move that will also bring Hulu to international audiences for the first time. The integration is slated for next year and was unveiled as part of Disney’s third-quarter earnings report.
The change builds on Disney’s March 2024 rollout of the Hulu tile within Disney Plus for U.S. subscribers who have both services. That feature allowed viewers to watch Hulu content without leaving the Disney Plus app. Starting this fall, that tile will replace the Star brand internationally, giving global audiences a single, more streamlined entry point to Disney’s entertainment catalog.
“This new offering will give customers more choice and convenience,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on the earnings call. “Over the coming months, we will be implementing improvements within the Disney Plus app, including exciting new features and a more personalized homepage — all of which will culminate with the unified Disney Plus and Hulu streaming app experience that will be available to consumers next year.”
Global Reach and Content Expansion
The integration will significantly expand the reach of Hulu’s general entertainment programming, which has historically been limited to the U.S. market. International audiences will gain access to Hulu’s lineup alongside Disney’s flagship franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic.
In addition, the merged platform will offer content from ABC News, The Simpsons, and — for subscribers who opt into ESPN — live sports coverage. An executive summary released ahead of the earnings call described the unified app as featuring “family programming, news, and industry-leading live sports content.”
For non-U.S. customers, the change means the Star tile — currently the home for general entertainment content on Disney Plus — will disappear, replaced entirely by Hulu branding.
How Disney Took Control of Hulu
Hulu’s path to full Disney integration has been years in the making. The service launched in 2008 as a joint venture between NBCUniversal, Fox Entertainment, and Disney-ABC Television Group, with WarnerMedia later taking a small stake. Over time, corporate consolidation shifted the ownership structure.
In 2019, following Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney became Hulu’s majority stakeholder with 67% ownership, while Comcast’s NBCUniversal retained the remaining 33%. As part of that deal, Comcast granted Disney full operational control over Hulu, with an agreement allowing either party to trigger a buyout of NBCUniversal’s stake beginning in 2024.
In late 2023, Disney announced it would acquire Comcast’s remaining third of Hulu for at least $8.61 billion, completing its ownership of the platform and clearing the way for a full merger with Disney Plus.
Industry observers had long speculated that Disney’s eventual goal was to combine the two services, reducing app fatigue for customers while strengthening Disney’s global streaming footprint.
A Unified Platform, Potential New Bundles
Disney has not yet disclosed how pricing or subscription tiers will change once Hulu is fully integrated. However, Iger hinted that the combination could unlock more flexible pricing and bundling opportunities.
“It will be on one tech stack, for instance, one tech platform,” he said. “I imagine down the road, it may give us some price elasticity… and a tremendous bundling experience because when you have one app that contains a significant amount of Disney-branded programming and general entertainment — bundled, for instance, with the ESPN direct-to-consumer app — it’s a very compelling proposition for customers.”
Analysts note that this approach could streamline marketing, reduce customer churn, and improve Disney’s competitive position against rivals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.
Sports Streaming Shake-Up
Alongside the Hulu announcement, Disney revealed that its new standalone sports streaming service, ESPN, will launch Aug. 21 — earlier than the previously planned fall debut. The service will replace ESPN Plus and be included in Disney’s existing bundle offerings.
The ad-supported version will start at $36 per month and give subscribers access to a wide range of live sports, from major league games to niche competitions. Disney has suggested that the Hulu-Disney Plus integration next year could lead to expanded bundles that marry entertainment, news, and sports in one package.
Why This Matters
The merger signals a major strategic shift for Disney’s streaming business, moving toward a more consolidated platform that reduces the friction of juggling multiple apps. It also marks the culmination of a years-long corporate strategy to bring Hulu entirely under Disney’s control.
If all goes according to plan, by this time next year, Disney subscribers worldwide could be logging into a single app that combines blockbuster franchises, prestige television, live sports, and breaking news — all without leaving the Disney Plus interface.
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