Disney+ & Hulu Integration Deepens With Personalized Profile Linking
Later this year, Hulu is set to be integrated into Disney+ in the United States and over the past year or so, we’ve seen more Hulu functionality and content added to Disney+, to get audiences ready for when they finally merge.
Another major step in this merger between Disney+ and Hulu has begun today, as Hulu subscribers can now link their Hulu profiles to Disney+, which will bring their Hulu watch history, watchlist, and recommendations into Disney+.
This is being done so viewers can easily pick up where they left off and enjoy the breadth and depth of Hulu and Disney+ content seamlessly.
It’s also important to note that this process will roll out to eligible bundle subscribers in the coming days, so much like the launch of Hulu On Disney+ and ESPN On Disney+, if you don’t see the change right now, just wait a few days and eventually this will roll out to all the bundled subscribers in the US. Internationally, this will have no impact, since Hulu is already incorporated into Disney+.
In order to do this, as a subscriber to the Disney Streaming Bundle, simply download the Disney+ app or visit disneyplus.com and sign-in with the same MyDisney login you use for Hulu. You’ll then be prompted to link your Hulu profile to an existing Disney+ profile.
That’s not all, as after linking your profile, you will be able to personalise it by choosing from a collection of avatars from Hulu, plus a wide selection of Disney+ favourites. With the rollout of more avatars, hopefully, these will also be eventually made available globally, since Hulu is already incorporated into Disney+ in most countries around the world.
Linking your 18+ profile will be available to eligible Disney+, Hulu Bundle and Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscribers in the coming days, and this feature will roll out to all bundle subscribers later this year.
Content from Hulu has already been available via Hulu On Disney+ for years, but linking the profiles means users’ personalised watch history and recommendations will show up within Disney+ based on their Hulu viewing habits.
Users will only need to link a Hulu profile to Disney+ once; after that, their watch history and recommendations will be reflected directly in the Disney+ app. Titles watched on Hulu will appear in the “Continue Watching” section of Disney+, and titles saved to “My Stuff” on Hulu will appear on Disney+ in the “Watchlist” section.
Disney has also confirmed that Add-Ons and Hulu+Live TV will be available within Disney+ later this year, along with more features from Hulu, including a new Live Guide that lets subscribers easily find live content. This includes Streams like ABC News Live and Disney+ Playtime for all Disney+ users and ESPN networks for entitled ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Roger’s Take: This is the next big step in finally bringing Hulu and Disney+ together in the United States, merging the accounts together is a major move, as while they’ve been linked via the MyDisney account for a while, this will make it easier for people to just use the Disney+ app and more importanly, mean when Disney finally pull the trigger, most people will be ready for the change.
It’s also very interesting to see that the Add-Ons (ie HBO Max) and Hulu+Live TV features will be coming to Disney+ as well, as that drastically increases the amount of content available within Disney+ in the United States.
Will you be linking your Hulu and Disney+ profiles together? Let me know on social media!
