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Disney to Integrate Hulu Content and Service into Disney+ for a Unified Streaming Experience
The Walt Disney Company has announced a major strategic shift in its streaming business, revealing plans to phase out the standalone Hulu app and fully integrate the service into its flagship Disney+ platform. The move comes as Disney now holds 100% ownership of Hulu following its buyout of Comcast’s stake.
Related – ESPN and WWE Announce Landmark Rights Deal, Moving All Premium Live Events to ESPN in 2026
A new, “unified” Disney+ and Hulu streaming app is expected to launch in 2026. While the standalone Hulu app will eventually be retired, a Disney representative confirmed that customers will still have the option to purchase a standalone Hulu subscription, in addition to a standalone Disney+ plan, even after the new app’s debut.
In prepared remarks, CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston stated, “This will create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news and industry-leading live sports content in a single app.”
Iger later elaborated on an earnings call, noting that the single, unified app will deliver an “improved consumer experience” aimed at lowering churn and creating cost synergies by operating both services on one technological platform. The integration is also expected to present new opportunities for bundling advertising sales.
The executives explained that this strategic move is designed to provide subscribers with “tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization.” This, they believe, will bolster profitability and margins within the streaming business through increased engagement, reduced churn, and new advertising revenue potential.
The integration follows the completion of Disney’s deal with Comcast to acquire the remaining one-third stake in Hulu in June 2025. The final price tag for the stake was approximately $9 billion, a figure determined through arbitration. Disney had previously launched a full integration of Hulu content within the Disney+ app in spring 2024 as a way to encourage bundled subscriptions.
In related news, Disney also announced it will no longer report individual streaming subscriber numbers for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, following a trend set by other major streaming services like Netflix. The company also confirmed that its standalone ESPN streaming product will launch on August 21, priced at $29.99 per month. The Hulu brand is also set to expand globally, replacing the Star tile on Disney+ internationally beginning in the fall of 2025.
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