Last year, Verizon struck a deal with Disney to give some of its customers one year of Disney+ for free. Now the mobile carrier has expanded its partnership with Disney+ to include Hulu and ESPN+, which could mean possible bundle deals with the streamers for Verizon customers.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg confirmed at the Goldman Sachs Investor Conference on September 15 that Verizon is looking to offer its customers the same type of free subscription with Hulu and ESPN+ as it did with Disney+ last year.
“Clearly, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ in one package, we think that’s a very attractive package. We see what’s happening with cable viewing. Over-the-top streaming services are more and more important,” Vestberg said. “It’s a good way to continue to meet our customer demands together with the best network…We’re probably going to have other areas and we’re going to find the best in those areas to see that our customers have an opportunity to bundle the best of the best.”
Verizon has already moved a step in that direction with its new Mix & Match unlimited wireless plans that offer 5G service with access to Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu and Apple Music.
Bundle deals like the ones Verizon is hinting at are great win-win partnerships for both parties. Now that the one year of Disney+ is almost up, many of those customers will stick around and become paying Disney+ subscribers, adding to the streaming service’s ever-growing subscriber base.