It was announced in 2019 that Disney was acquiring majority control of Hulu after it acquired 21st Century Fox. After that happened, Disneyoffered bundles of its services together(along with ESPN or HBO Max) to give consumers a main stop for a lot of their streaming needs. In June of this year, Disney completed the acquisition of Hulu from Comcast, allowing the conglomerate full use of Hulu’s name and catalog.
During its earnings announcement this week, Disney made a number of big changes, including announcing the debut of its newESPN streaming serviceand its acquisition of NFL Network. Another notable highlight from the earnings call was that Hulu’s native app would be put to pasture by 2026. This means thatall of Hulu’s contentwill be folded into the Disney+ app and that users won’t have to juggle two subscriptions.
Disney just blew up streaming with ESPN, the NFL, WWE and the end of Hulu
Disney’s latest announcements have the power to reshape the entire streaming landscape.
This may seem like Disney is putting an end to Hulu. But that’s far from the truth. This is actually the best thing that could happen to Hulu to have its content become more appreciated. This is something that has been rumored since the 2019 acquisition, but seven years of changes since confirm that Hulu is moving in the right direction.
Hulu Originals will shine more now
You’ll pay more attention to Hulu shows
It currently costs $10.99 per month for the bundle of Disney+ and Hulu and $16.99 per month for the trio of Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max.
Hulu is currently an app that features Live TV (if you pay for it), a large list of movies, and a large list of streaming shows on demand, such as ones that air on ABC or FOX and can be streamed on the app. If you want to watch Abbott Elementary or Family Guy, but don’t have a cable subscription, Hulu and HBO Max are where you can watch them. Hulu also features FX on Hulu series and is the premiere place where FX shows air along with FX on Hulu series, which are series that are from FX but first air on streaming (it’s hard to keep track of all this, right?)
That could change now that Hulu is folding into Disney+. The dedicated portion of the app that is now going to be Hulu’s and Hulu’s alone, meaning it won’t be littered with streaming on-demand content anymore. You don’t have to go to Hulu just to watch American Idol anymore. You’re going to go there for Hulu shows and movies, boosting the profile of everything the originals have to offer. Producers and those making Hulu series and movies that are yet to come should be excited that their productions are going to have more promotion than they might have just being stashed on Hulu’s app.
This might be the best YouTube TV replacement I’ve found
Hulu + Live TV has a lot going for it.
Hulu will have more accessibility
Disney+ is paid for by a lot more people
Producers and those making Hulu series and movies that are yet to come should be excited that their productions are going to have more promotion than they might have just being stashed on Hulu’s app.
I don’t know why this Live TV + streaming bundle is being kept a secret
Hulu + Live TV has a great bundle that might sway you.
Some people now have more of a reason to get Disney+
They were separated for a while
Disney+ has done a good job of separating itself from its initial content that was strictly Disney and Pixar movies and series. It has added universes like Marvel and Star Wars as well as National Geographic to broaden its reach among viewers. Now, it adds another as Hulu’s content has been geared mostly towards adults. This gives adults another reason to look at Disney+ as an option for streaming and to continue to watch their favorite Hulu and FX shows on demand. Hulu’s prowess in the industry will benefit more from the complete immersion with Disney+ than if it had stayed on its own.
