“Engagement, retention and happy, happy subscribers.”
According to Joe Earley — President of Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment — that’s the ultimate goal of Hulu on Disney+, which officially launches in the U.S. for Disney Bundle subscribers today.
Bundle subscribers will now have the full Hulu on Disney+ experience, which includes Hulu content integrated into recommendations, sets, and collections across Disney+, making it easier to discover thousands of general entertainment titles and explore the impressive breadth and depth of Hulu and Disney+ content.
“What’s thrilling about the full launch of Hulu on Disney+ is we’re reducing friction for Bundle subscribers,” Earley said. “During the beta, the Hulu content was purposefully isolated to the Hulu Hub, but now it will be fully integrated into Bundle subscribers’ homepages.”
Earley explained that the value proposition of the Disney Bundle is about to go up for consumers because extensive content from Hulu and Disney+ libraries is now in one place. It will also drive deeper engagement for Disney’s content.
“It’s going to be exciting for titles like The Bear, Shōgun, and Only Murders in the Building. During the beta, we saw these titles performing really well with subscribers who typically had been watching more Disney+ content,” Earley said. “I can only imagine what’s going to happen now with increased discoverability and integration on the homepage.”
The enhanced experience also includes significant advances to the Disney+ app across a range of areas, including personalization, viewing experience, search and more.
Aaron LaBerge — President & CTO, Disney Entertainment & ESPN — explained, “In fact, this launch represents the most extensive technical advancement to Disney+ and our streaming platform since we launched Disney+ over four years ago,” with multiple underlying product and technology elements being transformed that will play a role in how we enable future capabilities and strategic projects. “As is often the case, making something simple, elegant, and easy for consumers can be quite complex behind the scenes.”
During the Hulu on Disney+ beta period (December through this week), consumers watched a wider range of content, including adult animation, prestige dramas, and comedies – all in line with Hulu’s general entertainment strengths. Earley also mentioned that Bundle subscribers who have signed up since the beta began are watching more Hulu on Disney+ content than existing Bundle subscribers, indicating that the integrated experience is resonating with consumers.
Adding access to more general entertainment titles via Hulu on Disney+ doesn’t come at the expense of families losing control over what their children can watch.
“We know that consumers want ‘kid time,’ ‘we time,’ and ‘me time.’ Hulu on Disney+ now offers all of that and gives viewers options for their experience with parental controls and content settings,” said Earley.
This incredible range of content is celebrated and reflected in a new 360-degree marketing campaign that will be introduced in the coming days and weeks. This includes out-of-home placements, custom broadcast and digital spots, cross-branded social media posts, bi-coastal experiential stunts, including on-site activations at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and more.
Subscribers will also be welcomed to the Disney+ app in a whole new way, featuring a refined logo, color palette, and orchestral mnemonic created by Academy Award®-winning composer Ludwig Göransson.
“The color is named Aurora, both for the aurora borealis, but also as an homage to Princess Aurora,” Earley said. “It’s beautiful, a bit more adult, and signals a change.”
Inspired by Hulu’s signature green and Disney+’s legacy blue, this refreshed branding for Disney+ marks a new chapter in storytelling for the streaming service.