Hulu App to Be Phased Out as Disney+ Becomes Unified Streaming Home

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Aug 6

Disney is dissolving the standalone Hulu app in favor of a fully integrated streaming experience within Disney+, reshaping the streaming landscape.

Disney is officially sunsetting the standalone Hulu app. In a strategic move to streamline its digital offerings and increase subscriber engagement, the entertainment giant confirmed it will fully integrate Hulu into Disney+ starting in 2026. While customers will still be able to subscribe to Hulu and Disney+ separately, the content and user experience will live within a unified Disney+ app.

"This is a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering," said Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston in prepared remarks during the company’s quarterly earnings call. "We are creating an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, general entertainment, family programming, news, and industry-leading live sports content in a single app."

The integration promises to deliver an improved consumer experience with more personalization, higher engagement, and streamlined tech infrastructure. Iger emphasized that placing both services on one platform will lower churn, create new advertising bundling opportunities, and bring cost synergies.

Internationally, Hulu will replace the Star tile on Disney+ starting in Fall 2025, solidifying its role as Disney’s global general entertainment brand. The unified Disney+ app will introduce new features, a more personalized homepage, and technological enhancements in the months ahead.

On the live television front, Hulu + Live TV will merge with Fubo under a new joint venture majority-owned by Disney. While both brands will remain separately marketed, Hulu + Live TV is expected to also integrate into Disney+ by 2026.

The long-anticipated move follows Disney’s acquisition of Comcast's one-third stake in Hulu, finalized in June 2025 for approximately $9 billion. This buyout marked the end of a years-long negotiation and enabled Disney to take full control of Hulu's future.

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In line with changes across the industry, Disney also announced it will no longer report individual streaming subscriber numbers for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, mirroring the strategy of Netflix and other competitors.

Additionally, ESPN’s long-awaited stand-alone streaming service will debut on August 21, priced at $29.99/month, expanding Disney’s reach in the sports streaming market.