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My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
Soon, accessing Disney+ or Hulu will not involve switching apps. The two streaming services will remain separate and act independently but quickly feature their libraries on a single app. Unsurprisingly, Disney+ launched in late-2019, becoming one of the most popular streaming platforms. However, several networks formerly owned Hulu, and now Disney owns 67% of the streaming service. The remaining 33% is held by Comcast, which is in no rush to leave the platform. Disney also cannot fully buy out Comcast’s stake in Hulu until 2024, marking the fifth anniversary of Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
A merger of sorts makes sense, seeing that Paramount+ offers an add-on for Showtime, and HBO Max is merging with Discovery+ to become the new service, Max, on May 23rd — in less than two weeks. This move won’t affect viewers much; however, streaming will likely go the route of cable packages where you can purchase premium add-ons to keep customers on one general service. The new app and service hosted by Disney could release as early as the end of this year.
The Hollywood Reporter claims that Disney CEO Bob Iger covered the new app in an earnings call on Wednesday, May 11th. This new app serves to help subscribers of both Disney+ and Hulu.
While we continue to offer Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ as standalone options, this is a logical progression of our DTC [Direct-to-Consumer] offerings that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers, while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content, resulting in greater audience engagement and ultimately leading to a more unified streaming experience.
The advertising potential of this combined platform is incredibly exciting.
Bob Iger
Does a Centralized App Make Sense?
Yes. Having one place to stop to access both libraries is a fantastic idea for those who purchase both services. The combined libraries are massive, and with future products such as Flamin’ Hot, the biographical drama about the invention of the flamin’ hot Cheetos, it is set to be the first film released for both services. Ultimately, making it easier for people to access content is a great idea. Not only making it more accessible but also keeping it so audiences do not have to buy a fully integrated service such as Max gives options to viewers who might not want to stream classic Disney titles or those who wish to access Family Guy.
On the other hand, at the time of writing, there are no plans to integrate ESPN+, which caters to sports fans and not film buffs. Leaving ESPN out makes sense, but if Peacock allows access to sports, then the centralized Disney+ and Hulu apps might include ESPN+ in the future. The sports streaming service is included in the bundle. Then there is the faint possibility that Comcast doesn’t sell its share of Hulu. In that case, the centralized app either will not happen or will receive a delay in launch.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.