Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that it would integrate Hulu into Disney+ in the United States later this year as part of a one-app experience. During a recent interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Hulu will be available within Disney+ by the end of this calendar year.

Bob Iger also confirmed that Disney will be buying out Comcast’s share in Hulu by 2024, which is when the two companies agreed it would happen. Bob would like to get the deal done as soon as possible. While the two companies may be far apart on the valuation of Hulu, Bob explained that there is a mechanism in place to deal with this (basically, Hulu will be valued by an independent third party), and this won’t be a factor in the merging of Disney+ and Hulu.  Bob Iger specifically did state they are merging and offer a great product together.

He also spoke about how the addition of Hulu into Disney+ will offer subscribers more choice and value, which will increase engagement. Which is what has helped benefit Disney+ globally following the introduction of the Star brand.

Bob Iger continues to be bullish about the future of streaming, but there are some roadblocks ahead that need to be addressed, especially with technology and spending. While Netflix has an algorithm that provides a more personalised home page, Disney+ doesn’t offer this and Bob Iger addressed this, saying they need to do this, but because they are still new to the streaming business, they haven’t been able to do it yet.

With Disney looking to get Hulu available within Hulu of the end of this Calendar year, it’s not too long way, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Disney launched the new version of Disney+ with Hulu just in time for the Fall season, which is when television ratings pick up, and advertising revenue starts to increase.

Hopefully, a confirmed release date and more details on how Hulu content will be added within Disney+ will be revealed soon.

Do you think Hulu merging with Disney+ is the right thing to do?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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