Hulu Is Officially Ending As Disney Reveals New Streaming Plans

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Hulu is set to be phased out soon, as Disney plans a full integration with Disney+, the company making new plans in managing their streaming services. Disney fully owns both Hulu and Disney+, having fully bought NBCUniversal's shares from Comcast in June 2025. The content on Hulu includes original shows and movies, alongside network and cable programs from Disney-owned channels.

According to Variety, Disney is planning to merge Hulu and Disney+ into one streaming app by 2026. Despite this integration, there will still be options for separate subscriptions for Hulu or Disney+. However, both services will be available in a Disney+ app that includes Hulu. Additionally, Disney+'s international Star branding will be replaced by Hulu in Fall 2025.

What Hulu's Integration Into Disney+ Means For The Streamer's Future

Plans for a merging between Hulu and Disney+ are nothing new for the company. In 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger believed a merger between Hulu and Disney+ into one app would happen by the end of the calendar year. However, this was before Disney fully owned both streaming services, meaning they were unable to follow through with their plans.

Now that the company fully owns both streaming services, though, they can fully integrate the pair together. It's unsurprising considering the current bundles available with them; an ad-free premium bundle containing both Disney+ and Hulu is currently priced at $19.99 per month. The app integration simply means both streamers will be closer than ever before.

It also appears the services will remain available for separate purchasing, despite the integration of Hulu into the Disney+ app. How this works remains unclear, as it sounds like Hulu is going to become a subsection of Disney+ itself. More information will no doubt be revealed closer to the merging of both apps, aiding in a smooth transition for customers.

Our Take On Hulu Getting Integrated Into The Disney+ App

It's not surprising that, with ownership over both streaming services, Disney wants to put all their content into one space. Luckily, despite the merging between both apps, Hulu's integration into Disney+ will keep its a separate identity from the content on the main app. This means Hulu will still be a brand for Disney, but not their primary one.

Overseas, the change from Star to Hulu further emphasizes this point. Hulu will become a brand name for Disney, while Disney+ is going to be their core focus moving forward. Whether it gets more eyes from each streaming service onto more content remains to be seen. But it's an understandable move for them to have one condensed streaming service.

Source: Variety