- Hulu will be “fully integrated” in Disney + in 2026
- The Hulu Autonomous application will be closed
- Bob Iger says that “price elasticity” will help “better consumer experience”
Disney published its results for the third quarter of the 2010 financial year, but it is not the figures for the company that made the headlines, the CEO Bob Iger announcing “the complete integration” of Hulu and Disney + Set for 2026. Indeed, this means that the Hulu Autonomous application will no longer exist.
As Iger himself explained in the Disney winning report: “Today, we are a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offer by fully integrating Hulu into Disney +.
The declaration continues: “By creating a really differentiated streaming offer, we will provide subscribers with an improved choice, convenience, quality and personalization.
Of course, the first thing that makes us think is a potential price increase, with existing Disney + subscription beams being increased by about $ 1 to 2 each year in the past three years. Although no confirmed plan has been announced, Iger also suggested that “price elasticity” would be envisaged. Although we have no clear idea of what it still means, I don’t think we should be too fast to be negative.
The merger of Disney + and Hulu may not signify a significant price increase next year
Let’s look at existing plans as a guide. Disney has announced price increases for autonomous subscriptions, Hulu and ESPN + Bundles, this time last year, but the No No Ads Disney +, Hulu and Espn Premium pack remained at its regular $ 19.99 in the United States. Disney + prices in Australia started again in February 2025, but remained as part of an increase of $ 1 to 2 that American prices saw in the previous months. But whatever the bundles have increased the price and which they have not done, they are all packages … And Disney will not be able to sell as much now.
Unless Disney is no longer taking the best streaming services under its wing, Disney + can only be performed in ESPN + and HBO Max as Bundles if Hulu exists only in the main application. We can make a fairly sure assumption of this because Hulu will completely replace the existing star tile in the application. As Iger explained: “Hulu will also become a global brand for general entertainment, and in the fall, it will replace the Disney + Star tile internationally. Work is already underway to continue to improve our technology, and in the coming months, we will implement many improvements within the Disney +application, including new exciting features and a more personalized house page. All of this work will be available with unified disney and hulu consumption consumption. Next year. “
The company will also not want to lose any of its subscribers thanks to the integration process. Disney and Hulu Combined ended in the third quarter out of 183 million subscribers, which increased by 2.6 million compared to the second quarter. Disney plans that 10 million new subscribers for the fourth quarter, which cannot be achieved if people start to blood for the rise in prices to accommodate a change that they did not ask potentially.
For the moment, we do not know where it leaves the subscribers financially, but do not yet panic. Disney did not give any reason to absorb another price increase – if anything, there are fewer reasons for this to be the case. Disney will launch a new ESPN autonomous streaming service on August 21 (which will be separated from ESPN +), which could give us a clearer idea where the prices are heading.
