What you need to know
- Internal documents confirm that Disney plans to merge Hulu into Disney+ and eventually shut down the standalone Hulu app.
- While Disney publicly insists it has “no current plans” to kill Hulu, behind the scenes it is reportedly cutting back on development of the Hulu app.
- The company reportedly wants users to be able to access Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, FX, Hulu Originals, Live TV, and potentially more advanced Hulu features like live channels and DVR, all in one app.
Disney has been bringing Hulu and Disney+ closer for years. Now, a new report suggests that the company is preparing to make the standalone Hulu app nearly redundant by merging its experience into Disney+.
business insider Internal documents have been obtained that show Disney is working on a multi-phase internal project called “Project Gemini”. Reportedly, the plan is to integrate Hulu’s content, features, and technology into Disney+, and eventually shut down Hulu’s standalone app once users are transferred over.
This may contradict Disney’s recent public statements. company Said It had no current plans to shut down the Hulu app this month. However, the latest report presents a different story, suggesting that Disney is reallocating resources to Disney+ and reducing significant development work on Hulu.
The integration has been years in the making
The change has been in the pipeline for some time. disney It began adding Hulu content to Disney+ several years ago, allowing bundled subscribers to watch Hulu programming without leaving the Disney+ app. More recently, the company Profile linking announcedWhich allows eligible users to sync their viewing history, recommendations and watchlists between both services.
The appeal for consumers appears to be that instead of jumping from one service to another, viewers will get Disney originals, Marvel shows, Star Wars content, FX series, Hulu originals, and live TV features all in one place. Apparently, Disney is looking to bring more Hulu-specific features to Disney+, including live channels and DVR functionality.
There is also a business reason for this strategy. Two different streaming services means two different technology stacks, two different teams, and two different user experiences to support them. Bringing those systems together can reduce costs, boost content discovery and keep customers on the site longer.
For Hulu subscribers, there’s nothing to do right now. The app still exists, and Disney is still selling Hulu subscriptions. But the recent rollout of a profile-linking tool at Disney makes it clear that the company wants users to start bringing their Hulu viewing history and preferences to Disney+ now.
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For users who are already deeply into the Disney ecosystem, having access to Disney+ and Hulu, live TV, and possibly theme park bookings and purchases all under one roof could make life a lot easier. It’s hard to argue with fewer apps, more streamlined recommendations, and a single account experience. That said, Disney insisting that Hulu isn’t going anywhere while reports keep suggesting otherwise feels like watching the company slowly pack up Hulu’s boxes, while insisting it hasn’t decided whether it’s going out or not. If the goal is to improve the experience, users will probably go along with it — but Disney can stop pretending the destination isn’t already mapped out.
