The merger between Disney and Hulu has brought us access to more streaming content.
Streaming has been Disney CEO Bob Iger’s number one priority since his return to the company. Disney continues to improve subscriber-ship by bringing updates to the Disney+ platform. Since Disney has been in the process of gaining full ownership of Hulu, we’ve seen Hulu and Disney+ become more closely linked. This included the launch of the beta Disney+ app where subscribers have had limited access to Hulu content right on the Disney+ app. Now, things have become more permanent for bundle subscribers.
Full access to Hulu on the Disney+ app has indeed become a reality for Disney Bundle subscribers as of March 27th, 2024. Now, bundle subscribers within the U.S. can watch anything and everything from Hulu right on the Disney+ app. This update comes just days after a significant change to the Disney+ app logo, which Disney has now confirmed is “inspired by Hulu’s signature green and Disney+’s legacy blue…”.
Joe Earley, President of Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment, shared, “The color is named Aurora, both for the aurora borealis, but also as an homage to Princess Aurora. It’s beautiful, a bit more adult, and signals a change.”
The new change to the app is certainly a big one. During the beta release, users could only access Hulu content that was, as Earley explained, “purposely isolated to the Hulu Hub, but now it will be fully integrated into Bundle subscribers’ homepages.” This means that when you log onto your Disney+ app, you’ll see Hulu content mixed in with Disney content right on the home screen.
Disney assures users that adding the entertainment from Hulu straight to Disney+ will not jeopardize a family’s control over what their children watch. Earley assured, “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.”
During the beta launch, Disney saw several Hulu titles performing really well on Disney+ by subscribers who typically only watch Disney+ content. Shows like The Bear, Shogun, and Only Murders in the Building which were among the top titles doing well when they could be accessed through Disney+ on the beta form of the app.
Disney also added that this upgrade also brought with it other advances to the Disney+ app, including personalization, viewing experience, search, and more.
Aaron LaBerge, President & CTO, Disney Entertainment & ESPN, added, “In fact, this launch represents the most extensive technical advancement to Disney+ and our streaming platform since we launched Disney+ over four years ago. As is often the case, making something simple, elegant, and easy for consumers can be quite complex behind the scenes.”
Now subscribers can watch a wider range of content, which is what Disney saw happening during the beta launch. More adult animation, prestige dramas, and comedies were being viewed. It sounds like these changes may significantly impact consumers and the Disney company for the better.
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UPDATE on Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Number ONE Priority
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Were you among the subscribers who watched more Hulu content on Disney+? Let us know in the comments!
Yeah, the new bundle includes sports stuff and is $100 a month. I already HAVE Hulu in my Disney + package but 1/2 of the stuff I try to watch is now in Hulu PREMIUM and only included in the $100 a month package. That’s a really hard pass for me.
I saw the new color last night and thought something was wrong with my TV. Don’t care for it.