Disney is officially taking over Hulu – expect a new super-charged Disney Plus in the future
It’s official: Disney is taking over full ownership of Hulu. As we reported earlier this year, this means it could create a superstreamer that can take on rivals like Netflix – and for US consumers, it means your Disney Plus experience will most likely be just like the rest of the world. the world, with a single Disney app that provides access to all of the Mouse House streaming services, regardless of which company they come from. Outside the US, Hulu originals are like Only murders in the building are delivered in the Disney Plus app via Disney Plus Star, which is included in the Disney Plus price.
Disney has been part owner of Hulu for a while, but 33% of the streamer was owned by Comcast. And now Disney is buying that share too, for a whopping $8.61 billion. As Disney saysthe acquisition will “advance Disney’s streaming objectives.”
What would Disney’s acquisition of Hulu mean for streaming?
If the deal goes through — it’s not a done deal yet and the $8.61 billion figure could rise based on third-party assessments of Hulu’s value — then there are two possible options. The first is that Disney will integrate Hulu into the Disney Plus app, making that service your one-stop service for all kinds of movies and shows. But the second option is much juicier (although perhaps not really more attractive).
According to VarietyA long-held theory on Wall Street is that the reason Hulu isn’t available outside the US is that Disney tried to keep its value low until it was able to buy up the remaining stock – and once that stock belonged to Disney would be free to launch Hulu “as a global entertainment service.” For now, though, the former seems most likely: In May, Disney CEO Bob Iger described the company’s plans to incorporate Hulu content into a “unified streaming experience.”
Don’t expect any announcements anytime soon, if at all. We reached out to Disney in May to clarify whether Disney Plus would acquire or separate Hulu, and what effect this would have in non-US regions, and Disney declined. Comment.
One thing is clear: this move could be bad news for Netflix, which faces increasing competition not only from Disney, but also from services like the new Max. They don’t have the subscriber numbers that Netflix does, but something like merging Hulu with Disney Plus at an aggressive price could make that upgraded service even more of a must-have than Netflix.