ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Disney is combining the Hulu app and the Disney+ app subsequent 12 months.
- Most Hulu content material is obtainable on Disney+ already, however not all – you continue to want the Hulu app for now.
- You may nonetheless be capable to subscribe to Hulu and Disney+ as standalone companies.
Should you’re a Hulu consumer, you will possible be altering apps quickly.
Throughout at this time’s quarterly earnings results announcement, CEO Bob Iger mentioned the corporate could be “absolutely integrating Hulu into Disney+,” which means the standalone Hulu app will disappear someday in 2026. Disney announced plans for a mixed Hulu and Disney+ app again in 2023, with plans to unify the 2 by “March of subsequent 12 months” (2024), however that hasn’t occurred but.
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Whereas most Hulu content material is already obtainable on the Disney+ app, some is simply obtainable within the Hulu app resulting from licensing restrictions. Moreover, content material from third-party add-ons like Max and Showtime can be solely obtainable by the Hulu app, so that you do nonetheless want the present Hulu app for now.
Hulu as a service is not going away. You may nonetheless be capable to purchase a standalone Hulu subscription and a standalone Disney+ subscription, however it’s clear the corporate is pushing bundles. Disney mentioned the Hulu + Live TV service will technically be mixed with Fubo, however each companies might be marketed and offered individually.
In the identical name, Disney additionally introduced that it deliberate to cease reporting subscriber numbers (one thing Netflix has already finished). It’s going to nonetheless announce when it reaches milestone numbers, however is not going to present common updates.
Whereas switching from one app to a different won’t appear to be an enormous deal, there are possible some hidden ramifications to this transformation. One, some customers get a free Hulu with advertisements due to their Spotify Premium subscription. Additionally, some customers get a Spotify low cost due to having a Hulu account — together with some who’ve been grandfathered in when Hulu was a free streaming service. It is not clear what’s going to occur to these bundles; I’ve reached out for a proof.
A brand new sports-centric streaming service that features WWE
Disney additionally plans to launch a brand new standalone sports activities streaming service that is obtainable with out a cable subscription. The ESPN streaming service will launch in August for $29.99 a month, or $35.99 a month in the event you bundle with Disney+ and Hulu.
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ESPN streaming will get you all content material from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, and ESPN+, plus reside content material like Monday Evening Soccer, Sunday Evening Baseball, and School Soccer Primetime. Any recreation that airs on ABC (Disney owns ABC) might be obtainable too — 47,000 reside occasions a 12 months in whole. Disney introduced at this time that this service will even stream all WWE premium reside occasions of their entirety, together with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Collection, Cash within the Financial institution, and extra.
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