Disney’s New Bundle Combines Disney+ and Hulu into One App
By Movieguide® Contributor
Disney is rolling out a new bundle for its two most popular services, merging Hulu and Disney+ into a single streaming app.
“While we continue to offer Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus as standalone options, this is a logical progression of our DTC [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,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger during the company’s Q2 2023 earnings report.
The app has since been in a beta testing period. However, it is expected to become available at large next month. The combination of the platforms comes as Disney buys out Comcast’s 33% stake in Hulu, making Disney the sole owner of the service.
When the bundled service releases, it will replace the current Disney+ app, appearing in its place. The service will feature the content currently available through Disney’s duo bundles – which are offered at a basic and premium plan. While pricing has yet to be revealed, it will likely be comparable to the current $9.99 per month for the basic duo plan and $19.99 per month for the premium plan.
The combined app will streamline advertising across the company’s platforms and allow Disney’s streaming arm to better compete with Netflix.
“We think that by making it available as a one-app experience it will increase engagement and increase our opportunity in terms of serving digital ads and growing our advertising business,” Iger said last year.
While the soft combination of the steaming platforms will streamline the user experience, it also poses a problem for parents. Disney+ is largely composed of content aimed at children, while Hulu’s user base is primarily adults. Once the merge occurs, parents will need to update their parental controls to ensure their kids are protected from viewing inappropriate content that was not previously accessible.
Movieguide® previously reported:
“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+,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said of the launch.
A beta version of the app is expected to launch in December, with the official launch slated for spring 2024.
“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 explained.
