Disney+, Hulu to combine into one app by end of 2023

Disney will be combining its Disney+ and Hulu content into one app, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday.

>> Read more trending news

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the streamlining during the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings call, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The “one-app experience” for U.S. subscribers will launch by the end of 2023, Variety reported.

“While we will continue to offer Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ as standalone options, this is a logical progression of our (direct-to-consumer) 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,” Iger said, according to Variety.

Disney, Hulu and ESPN+ have been offered as a bundle to subscribers since 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Iger called the advertising opportunity of the “one-app” product “particularly exciting,” Deadline reported. Disney has more than 5,000 advertisers, the CEO said.

He said the streamlined app will bring “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.”

Disney holds a majority stake in Hulu, while Comcast owns 33%, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Beginning in January 2024, Comcast can use a put/call option to require Disney to buy its stake, or Disney can use its buy option to force Comcast to sell its stake, the entertainment news website reported.

Iger has said Disney is evaluating all options, Variety reported.

Streaming “is very, very tricky right now and before we make any big decisions about our level of investment, our commitment to that business, we want to understand where it could go,” Iger said during an investor conference last month.

©2023 Cox Media Group