Disney plans to merge Hulu and Disney+, its popular streaming services, into a single comprehensive app, combining their content in one place.
The Disney Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bob Iger, announced that combining Hulu and Disney+ content would occur before 2023 ends.
Disney to Combine Hulu, Disney+ Content in One Streaming App
The logo of the Disney+ streaming service hangs above their booth during San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, on July 24, 2022.
As per a report by CNBC, the Disney boss, Iger, confirmed that they plan to launch a new streaming service, which offers both the shows and movies of its flagship service and Hulu. The chief executive announced the move during the recent earnings call of the media juggernaut with investors for the year's second quarter.
Iger points out that Disney Plus Hotstar, a streaming service available outside the US, has already started offering Disney+ and Hulu content in a single app. On the other hand, the two streamers are available as standalone platforms in the US. Although there are bundles that include the two, users still have to switch from one app to another to play their content, CNET reports.
With the plan to combine the two services moving forward, users could soon watch their shows and movies by browsing a single app. The Disney CEO, who recently returned after retirement, says it should deliver "a more unified streaming experience." He adds that the "one app experience" should help make its library "more robust" and "streamlined."
Besides benefiting viewers, the chief exec admits that the "advertising potential for the combined platform" also pushed them to pursue this route.
Despite the plans to merge Hulu and Disney+, Iger emphasized that sports-focused streaming service ESPN+ will remain a standalone platform. CNBC notes that Disney currently owns roughly 66 percent of Hulu. The giant firm is reportedly considering buying the rest from Comcast for a total takeover.
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Launching as an Ad-Supported Tier
Fans are reflected in Disney+ logo during the Walt Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California on September 9, 2022.
Iger says that the combined content of Hulu and Disney+ is debuting later this year as a new option, which comes with ads. According to The Verge, Disney has yet to confirm the pricing details of the upcoming content merge. With that, it is still being determined if there will be any increase in the ad-supported plan of the giant streamer.
Disney Plus introduced its ad-supported tier in the US last year. It should debut in Europe before the year ends, according to the giant firm. On the other hand, Hulu has long offered a cheaper option with ads.
Meanwhile, Netflix, which faced a subscriber decline in 2022, also started offering its users a more affordable ad-supported option. Aside from Disney, HBO and Discovery have merged their content into a streaming service called "Max."
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