The Disney+ app and the Hulu app are due to merge later this year, says Disney CEO Bob Iger, but you’ll still be able to buy standalone subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
The announcement is leading to speculation about a possible buyout plan …
Disney+ app and Hulu app to merge
Engadget reports that Iger revealed the plan during the company’s latest earnings call.
He said the company will continue offering Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ as standalone options, but combining services “is a logical progression” of its direct-to-consumer offerings “that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers, while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content.
Possible Comcast buyout
Disney currently owns two-thirds of Hulu, with Comcast owning the remaining third. Engadget speculates that merging the apps could signal that Disney plans to fully acquire the service.
Since Comcast still owns 33 percent of Hulu, this announcement suggests that Disney could be thinking of buying the cable TV and media company’s stake. Iger didn’t elaborate on the company’s plans, though, and only said that Disney has had “constructive” talks with Comcast about the future of Hulu.
More price hikes to come
In December of last year, Disney+ got a steep price rise of an extra $3/month, while users who wanted to stick to the old price had to switch to the new ad-supported tier.
Unfortunately, it seems the company isn’t done with the price rises just yet – we just don’t know when, and how much.
Iger has also revealed that Disney+ is getting another price increase after adding $3 on top of its ad-free streaming tier’s monthly fee in December. He didn’t say when the company is raising the service’s prices, but when it does, the ad-free and ad-supported tiers will cost more than $11 and $8, respectively.
Iger last month said that Steve Jobs inspired his surprise return to Disney last year.
Image: Disney
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