This week Disney announced that Star+ will shut down in Latin America and its content will merge into Disney+.
Star+ carries mostly content that in the United States is offered on Hulu. This has once again raised questions from Hulu subscribers about the future of the service.
This month Disney became the sole owner of Hulu. Shortly after that Disney merged Hulu on-demand into the Disney+ app.
For now, Disney has been very clear that Hulu and Disney+ will remain their own services but increasingly the two services are coming closer together.
In a statement on Disney’s website, the company addressed these concerns:
Will Disney+ and Hulu still be available as standalone apps?
Yes. This is not a replacement for standalone Hulu or Disney+. Both will still be available as separate offerings. Hulu + Live TV and Premium add ons will still only be available within the Hulu app, along with the full Hulu SVOD content library.
Still have questions about this merged app? Here is everything you need to know:
Where can you find Hulu inside the Disney+ app?
You can find Hulu located inside the Disney+ app as its own category. It is next to content like Star Wars and Marvel. By clicking on the Hulu icon on your home screen, you will be able to log in to your Disney+ app and access your Hulu subscription.
Why is Hulu in beta on Disney+?
This launch of Hulu on Disney+ is just a beta until March 2024, during which time Hulu will be slowly integrated into the Disney+ app. You will be able to use the current Hulu app for an unknown amount of time before the full merger.
What will happen to Hulu after the merger?
ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ will continue to be offered as individual subscriptions.
“While we continue to offer Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ as standalone options, this is a logical progression of our DTC 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,” CEO Bob Iger said when the merger was announced.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that not only will this merger happen this year, but in March 2024 a new bundle deal of Hulu and Disney+ content will launch. Disney is hoping that this new bundle will drive as many as 150,000 new subscribers to the app and generate millions of dollars in revenue.
It is unknown how this will be different from the current bundles. Though Disney has a lot of options, one option could be a bundle with live channels from Hulu + Live TV that do not include ESPN+.
All things can change; however, it appears that Hulu and Disney+ will be their own services even after Disney buys 100% of Hulu.
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