Disney is discontinuing the standalone Hulu app – all hail Disney+
The change comes into effect in 2026
👋 Disney has announced that it’s sunsetting the Hulu streaming app, with both Hulu and Disney+ taking pride of place in the Disney+ app
📆 In a recent earnings call, Disney said the change will happen next year
🤔 The move, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston, represents a "major step forward" for Disney's streaming services and is designed to give more choice and quality of content
👏 The move will also see Hulu go international, taking Star's place as a tile on the Disney+ app
Disney has announced it is removing the standalone Hulu streaming app.
According to Variety, a new "unified" Disney+ and Hulu app will be available in 2026 with the latter integrated into the company’s flagship Disney+ streamer.
Customers will be able to purchase a standalone Hulu subscription as well as a standalone Disney+ plan despite them being on one app, according to a Disney representative.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston stated the move is a "major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering" and that it "would create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news and industry-leading live sports content in a single app."
The merger of the two apps will deliver an "improved consumer experience", according to Iger. In addition, it can provide subscribers with what the Disney executives called "tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization", while aiding the company's ability to "continue to grow profitability and margins in our entertainment streaming business".
Because both services will be available on the same platform, Iger stated that it has the potential to reduce customer churn and result in a reduction in costs. He also highlighted that he saw new opportunities for Disney to bundle ad sales by fully combining the two services.
In fall 2025, Disney also has plans for Hulu to replace the Star tile on Disney+ internationally, where it has traditionally been a US-only streaming platform.
The move acts as the culmination of a long two-year process that saw Disney negotiate a deal with Comcast to buy out NBC Universal's one-third stake in Hulu this past June.
Disney had laid the groundwork for this marriage in spring 2024 when the Disney+ app launched "full" integration of Hulu content. At the time, the Walt Disney Company justified the move by converting standalone Disney+ subscribers into bundled subscribers of both platforms.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.