In North America, Disney operates both the Disney+ and Hulu streaming services. However, in the rest of the world, Hulu does not exist, and content from that streaming service is already incorporated into the Disney+ app under the Star brand.
A few weeks ago, Disney announced it had started the process of buying the remainder of Hulu which is currently owned by Comcast. That will happen sometime in 2024. Today, as part of its quarterly financial numbers, Disney stated it will launch a new version of the Disney+ app in beta form in December that will add content from Hulu directly. Disney previously stated it would launch such a unified app in May 2023.
In a press release, Disney stated the unified app will be released first for subscribers who already bundle Disney+ and Hulu on one bill. The company stated the release of the app in beta form will give "parents time to set up profiles and parental controls that work best for their families ahead of the official launch in early spring 2024.”
There"s no word yet on what will happen to Hulu"s stand-alone streaming plans once the unified app is officially released. Disney already offers bundle deals that combine Disney+ and Hulu in North America, along with bundle deals that include those two services and ESPN+
Of course, the big question is what will happen to the Hulu brand itself once it becomes part of Disney+ in North America. It"s possible Disney could keep the brand going in the app, similar to how they have different brands in the app for Marvel, Pixar, LucasFilm, and other of its properties.
In related news today, Disney announced that during its last fiscal quarter, over half of all new US subscribers to Disney+ went for the more recent and cheaper ad-based plan. The company recently raised prices for its ad-free plans across all of its streaming services and also announced plans to crack down on password sharing for those services.