Are you a fan of Loki on Disney+ and The Bear on Hulu? Well, soon, you’ll be able to watch two of the most popular series on streaming without having to leave one app for another.
Hulu on Disney+ rolls out its beta version to Bundle subscribers today before officially launching in the spring. It’s an exciting next step for Disney and its streaming endeavors.
To find out more, we spoke with Joe Earley—Disney Entertainment’s President of Direct-to-Consumer—about the roll out, what Hulu on Disney+ will look like and what’s next for Disney streaming.
Here’s everything you need to know:
What is Hulu on Disney+?
Starting today, when Bundle subscribers open their Disney+ app, they will see a Hulu tile appear alongside the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic tiles.
Clicking on the Hulu tile will take subscribers to a Hulu Hub, where they’ll be able to choose from thousands of movies and series from Hulu’s library for playback via Disney+. They will have access to extensive Hulu content, including award-winning Originals, next day TV, and a huge library, right there, inside Disney+ without the friction of navigating from one app to another.
Why is this being called the “beta” phase? When will the official launch happen?
What Bundle subscribers will see today is a limited beta version, with the official launch slated for March 2024.
“It’s an exciting next step for Direct-to-Consumer, but it’s important that people have managed expectations about what the experience is going to be,” Earley said.
The beta version is intended to help Disney better understand the consumer’s needs and wants when it comes to Hulu on Disney+ before it officially launches in the spring. It will also give parents time to set up controls that make sure everyone in their household is watching what’s appropriate for them.
But wait, will Hulu’s series and films that are more geared toward adults conflict with the more family-friendly Disney+ brand?
No, according to Earley, who explained that the company has already seen great success outside of the United States where Disney’s classic and general entertainment titles exist in one app.
He underscored that one of the company’s top priorities is ensuring Disney+ remains a safe space for families. And that the two-step launch approach will allow Bundle subscribers with a Disney+ subscription to explore Hulu content and give Disney+ subscribers time to adjust parental controls and establish profiles for the entire family, if they don’t already exist.
“There are a few reasons why we think this is going to be an exciting new experience for our subscribers,” Earley said. “Even before the launch of Disney+, research was very clear that consumers want ‘kid time,’ ‘we time,’ and ‘me time.’ I want incredible stuff for my kids, I want to watch things as a family, and then I want to put the kids to bed and watch things that are more adult in nature.”
What does Disney want to accomplish with Hulu on Disney+?
Earley hopes that this integration continues Disney’s commitment to putting subscribers first and creating a seamless viewing experience for all. He also hopes it will drive deeper engagement and discoverability by having more content available in one place.
“It’s an unbelievable value in terms of the price point for the Bundle, to get all this content in one place,” he said. “Beyond unlocking that experience for our existing Bundle subscribers, our hope is to inspire Disney+ and Hulu standalone subscribers to upgrade to the Bundle as well, once they see everything that can be accessed.”
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.
What does this mean for Disney’s streaming strategy overall?
For Earley, the focuses for Disney’s streaming business are reaching and maintaining profitability, which CEO Bob Iger has said is one of the key four pillars of building at Disney, as well as turning streaming into a very healthy margin business.
“The road to get there requires that we optimize what we have now in terms of content, marketing and user experience, and then monetize it in the best way possible,” he said. He also noted that continuing to innovate is important for the platforms to stay competitive.
“One of the things that Hulu on Disney+ is going to achieve is it’s going to increase engagement, which reduces churn,” Earley added. “When someone goes into Disney+ they have this enormous other world to access and I think that people are going to discover content they never even realized was on Hulu.”
What else should consumers know about the Hulu on Disney+ beta roll out?
“I hope consumers realize that one Bundle subscription — which is competitively priced — can unlock the incredible original content, the blockbuster films that come from all our studios, and a 100 years’ worth of stories from Disney+,” Earley said. “Not to mention the amazing titles that come from Hulu Originals, FX, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight, and all of our amazing partners.”