Disney is gearing up for a fresh chapter with Hulu as the company is in the final stages of purchasing the streamer. As the full owner of the entity, Disney plans to launch a beta app in December that will combine Disney+ and Hulu into a single streaming experience for bundle subscribers, according to Variety.
Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly shared the news, but in tie things up on Hulu, Disney still needs to close a deal with Comcast to buy out NBCUniversal’s 33 percent stake in Hulu. In order to stake that claim, Disney is prepared to pay $8.61 billion to Comcast and Hulu in addition to the original price tag.
(Credit: Hulu)
“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+,” Iger stated during a September quarter earnings call, per Variety.
The beta version of the Disney+ and Hulu app will launch in December for subscribers with the two-service bundle. This is meant to prepare consumers for the planned official launch in spring 2024. The hope is the combined app will result in increased engagement, greater ad revenue, reduced customer costs, and more.
Currently, Disney offers a price-discounted bundle for Disney+ and Hulu with ads for just $9.99 per month and the ad-free bundle is $19.99, but currently, customers must use separate apps to stream. Additionally, Disney+ offers another bundle that includes both Hulu and ESPN, but it doesn’t appear that the sports service will be part of this beta app.
Should the deal come together as planned, this could pave the path for Disney to introduce global audiences to Hulu, but only time will tell if this is the course of action the company foresees. Stay tuned for more news surrounding the merger and let us know what you think of Disney’s plan for Disney+ and Hulu in the comments section, below.
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
