Fans of the Disney+ and Hulu streaming platforms will soon be able to use both wrapped in a single app — but they will need access to the beta version.
During Disney’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the company is merging Disney + and Hulu, which are owned by the company, into one app.
“We remain on track to roll out a more unified one-app experience domestically, making extensive general entertainment content available to bundle subscribers via Disney+,” said Iger.
The new app will become available in beta in December to subscribers who are already paying for both streaming services through some of the Disney bundle plans. Iger said this gives “parents time to set up profiles and parental controls that work best for their families.”
Currently, Disney offers a price-discounted bundle for Disney+ and Hulu with ads, an ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle, and 2 other bundles that add an ESPN subscription into the mix. Customers who’ve subscribed to the most expensive plan that includes the sports service are eligible for the beta version, but it doesn’t appear that ESPN will be part of the beta app.
However, you’ll need to be a US subscriber to get access to the new app, which comes as no surprise, considering Hulu is US-only. That said, this new app can be taken as a sign that Disney plans to launch Hulu globally.
Customers who won’t get their hands on the beta merger will be able to try out the official version of the app sometime in spring 2024, according to Iger. The company expects to launch the fully-fledged product around late March.
The announcement comes as Disney is in the works of buying out Comcast’s NBCUniversal’s stake in Hulu. Last week, Disney said it would pay at least $8.61 billion for the stake.
This also raises questions as to what Hulu content will be available in this app, considering not all Hulu content is Disney-owned, but you should be able to watch content produced by the Disney network and Hulu originals.
Disney+ and Hulu will still remain available as separate apps for subscribers who don’t want them bundled.