Disney To Combine Hulu and Disney+ Into One App, Payment For Both Services Remains Split

TV & Film

May 12

In the second-quarter earnings call for the company’s fiscal year, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed plans for the future of Disney+ and Hulu. The content from Hulu will combine with Disney+ under one app meant to roll out by the end of the year. Iger described the logic behind the merger in the following statement (via The Hollywood Reporter):

“While we continue to offer Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ as standalone options, this is a logical progression of our DTC offerings that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers, while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content, resulting in greater audience engagement and ultimately leading to a more unified streaming experience.”

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Iger made sure to highlight that “the advertising potential of this combined platform is incredibly exciting.” More content would get in front of people, and there would be less confusion as to where things were located. Not only would it be visible, but accessible as well with the right price.

Disney may be the majority owner of Hulu, but they are not the sole owner; Comcast owns a third of the stake. Iger addressed this fact about the merger, stating that their acquisition of Comcast’s stake hasn’t “been fully determined.” Despite this, he’s had time to study the finer details of the content merger and its possibilities since the first mention of it, explaining how “it’s clear that a combination of the content that is on Disney+ with general entertainment is a very strong combination from a subscriber perspective, from a subscriber acquisition-subscriber retention perspective and also from an advertiser perspective.”

The Disney CEO went on to state, “How that ultimately unfolds is to some extent in the hands of Comcast and in the hands of a, basically a conversation or a negotiation that we have with them.” Development on this front may not occur until 2024 when either company can force the other into action, though current conversations have been reported to be “cordial.”

Further details will come with time. The combination will only be offered to members subscribed to both platforms for the time being.

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