Disney Plans to Eliminate Hulu App, Intending to Completely Assimilate Service with Disney Platform
Disney to Unify Disney+ and Hulu in 2026, Creating a Global Entertainment Powerhouse
Disney has announced plans to merge Hulu's streaming content and services directly into the Disney+ app, creating a single platform that will house Disney's wide range of content, including Hulu's original shows and live TV features. The standalone Hulu app is expected to be phased out after this integration.
The integration, planned for 2026, will see Hulu's brand replace the Star brand internationally on Disney+, marking the beginning of a global rollout under the Hulu name outside the U.S. The complete merger will culminate with the launch of a unified Disney+ and Hulu streaming app available to consumers worldwide.
Currently, Hulu content is already accessible within Disney+ for subscribers who have both services, including a Hulu tile on the Disney+ app in the U.S. since March 2024. Despite the integration, Disney will maintain subscription options for Hulu and Disney+ separately, but the aim is for a more streamlined, personalized, and broader entertainment offering in one app. ESPN will remain a separate service with its own streaming offering.
The integration aims to provide subscribers with tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization. Disney sees new opportunities for bundling ad sales with the full combination of Disney+ and Hulu. The integration also aims to create an improved consumer experience, lowering churn.
Disney has already integrated Hulu content into the Disney+ app as a way to convert stand-alone Disney+ customers into bundled Disney+/Hulu subscribers. The integration of Hulu + Live TV into Disney+ is also expected to happen sometime in 2026.
The deal with Comcast to buy out NBCUniversal's one-third stake in Hulu was finalized in June 2025, following two years of negotiating. The final price tag was determined through arbitration by a third-party banker, with Disney paying Comcast a total of about $9 billion, including $8.61 billion paid in November 2023 and $438.7 million this past June.
With both services on one tech platform, the integration is expected to result in cost synergies. The aim is to reinvest these operational efficiencies back into the business, enhancing Disney's ability to continue growing profitability and margins in its entertainment streaming business.
Work is underway to enhance the technology within the Disney+ app, with numerous improvements and new features to be implemented over the coming months. The unified Disney+ and Hulu streaming app is set to launch on Aug. 21, priced at $29.99/month, while the standalone ESPN streaming product will also be released around the same time.
[1] CNBC. (2025). Disney to merge Hulu into Disney+, creating a single streaming service. [online] Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/21/disney-to-merge-hulu-into-disney-plus-creating-a-single-streaming-service.html
[2] The Verge. (2025). Disney will merge Hulu into Disney+ in 2026, creating a single streaming app. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/04/21/22392705/disney-hulu-disney-plus-merger-streaming-app-2026
[3] Deadline. (2025). Disney To Merge Hulu Into Disney+, Creating A Single Streaming App In 2026. [online] Available at: https://deadline.com/2025/04/disney-to-merge-hulu-into-disney-plus-creating-a-single-streaming-app-in-2026-1234929983/
[4] Variety. (2025). Disney to Merge Hulu and Disney+ in 2026, Creating a Single Streaming Service. [online] Available at: https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/disney-hulu-merger-disney-plus-streaming-service-1235153293/
[5] TechCrunch. (2025). Disney to merge Hulu into Disney+ in 2026, creating a single streaming app. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/21/disney-to-merge-hulu-into-disney-plus-in-2026-creating-a-single-streaming-app/
[1] Disney's merger of Hulu into the Disney+ app, happening in 2026, is a strategic move to expand its business in the entertainment sector, offering consumers a comprehensive entertainment platform.
[2] By integrating Hulu's content, Disney aims to create a unified streaming service that will cater to various tastes, delivering both Disney's family-friendly programming and Hulu's mature content under a single roof.
