Disney to retire Hulu app in 2026, fully merge service into Disney+

Disney has announced that Hulu, which is currently fully owned by the entertainment behemoth, will be phased out as a stand-alone app in 2026 and fully merged into Disney+. The change is among the company's most important streaming strategy decisions since it took full control of Hulu.

In international markets, Hulu will take the role of the Star brand on Disney+ beginning in the fall of 2025. In 2026, a combined Disney+ and Hulu app will formally debut, but users will still be able to purchase each subscription separately.

Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston stated in the company's quarterly results speech, "Today we are announcing a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering by fully integrating Hulu into Disney+." They referred to the combined app as a “comprehensive entertainment package” that combined Hulu’s general entertainment, news, and live sports content with Disney’s family programming and brands.

Iger assured investors that by combining both services into a single technological platform, the integration will improve user experience, lower customer attrition, and generate operational efficiencies. Disney anticipates that the combined service will provide more advertising options.

Hulu's live TV service will combine with Fubo, which is primarily owned by Disney, to form a joint venture. For the time being, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo will be promoted independently; however, in 2026, Hulu + Live TV will be incorporated into Disney+.

In an effort to increase bundled subscriptions, Disney+ began providing complete Hulu content integration in the spring of 2024, marking the beginning of the unification. Disney also confirmed that its standalone ESPN streaming service will debut on August 21 at a monthly rate of $29.99 and said it will no longer reveal the number of subscribers for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.