Disney Plus and Hulu Content Will Stream in One App Later This Year

The Walt Disney Co. plans to offer a single app that rolls Hulu content into Disney Plus by the end of the year. CEO Bob Iger shared the news during the media giant's second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday as the company aims to grow profits for its streaming business.

Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus will remain standalone streaming services, Iger said, but the Disney/Hulu app will provide another choice for subscribers. He compared it to Disney Plus Hotstar, a streaming service available outside the US that merges programming from several platforms. For customers who already have a Disney bundle, the experience will eliminate the need to switch between apps to watch TV shows and movies.  

In December, Disney Plus launched its ad-based tier for $8 a month while increasing the price of its ad-free plan to $11. Along with the new price structure for the standalone subscriptions, the company also introduced two new bundles that include access to Hulu and ESPN Plus. The Disney Bundle Duo Basic includes Hulu and Disney Plus with ads and costs $10, while the Disney Bundle Trio Basic features Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus and is priced at $13 per month. Disney didn't share details on the cost of the new subscription but noted it will launch as an ad-supported option.

Disney Plus is seemingly following in the footsteps of Paramount Plus and HBO Max. Paramount Plus added Showtime content to its app and offers the combined version as a premium bundle, with standalone options still available. The company also rebranded Showtime's linear cable channel as Paramount Plus with Showtime, which airs content from both brands. HBO Max is set to relaunch as Max on May 23 with merged content from HBO Max's full library and select titles from Discovery Plus.