Hulu and Disney+ Integration Dates Set

 With the news that Disney has officially committed to buying out Comcast’s remaining one-third stake in streaming platform Hulu dropping last week, it seems that Disney is keen to fast-track its integration into the wider Disney ecosystem even as formal valuation processes still need to be completed. Brandon Blake, our expert entertainment lawyer Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A shares what we know to date.

Brandon Blake

Addition to Disney Bundles

The Hulu streaming platform will begin integration with existing Disney+ services from December 2023, ahead of the formal buyout formalization anticipated for early 2024. It will be available to all viewers currently holding a Disney Bundle subscription. Disney has already taken full control of Hulu from Comcast.

Currently, they are anticipating being able to offer a full ‘one-app experience’ for Disney+ subscribers from March 2024. This means that Hulu originals, as well as ABC assets, will be on offer as part of the ‘Hulu on Disney+’ option.

A Bullish Forecast

This echoes the generally bullish stance Disney has taken for its latest quarterly reports. While still a ‘beta’ rollout for the services, Disney’s Bob Iger was keen to emphasize that this will allow parents to adapt to the addition of Hulu’s more adult-orientated fare on the platform and use parental controls as they wish. Bundling has, after all, proven to be a good way to reduce subscriber churn on streaming platforms in recent months.

Additionally, it seems Disney is bargaining on a stronger ad market, despite soft ad revenue in the latest quarter. Their year-on-year profits, however, remained level, offset by lower production/programming costs during the strikes and income from equity investors.

With the strike actions resolved and the upcoming festive quarter to hopefully drive ad sales, as well as the formal acquisition of Hulu’s assets, Disney is looking to enter 2024 on a bullish note. Hopefully, we will see that reflected across the entertainment landscape.

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