Disney’s domination continues. After its plans to incorporate Hulu in the near future, the behemoth has brand-new expansion plans.
Per Variety, Disney has just closed a new deal to merge Hulu + Live TV operations with Fubo. The House of Mouse owns a 70% stake in the new company amid their new deal.
Disney’s full acquisition of Hulu happened this year in June, after its deal with Comcast that had been a long time coming. The most recent news came in early October, when Disney teased its phaseout plans for Hulu, which included replacing its original brand, Star, with Hulu internationally as the general entertainment brand. The move took place on Oct. 8.
The new merger between Fubo and Hulu + Live TV will become the second-largest virtual pay-TV provider in the U.S., as it will include nearly six million subscribers in North America. The Fubo + Hulu Live TV merger trails behind Google’s YouTube TV, which is the current No. 1 virtual pay-TV provider, with over 10 million paying subscribers.
The new merger has been a long time coming, as it announced its new deal with Fubo for a new live-TV joint venture in January this year. Their deal included for the latter to drop its antitrust lawsuit against Venu Sports, the sports-focused streaming package from Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery. At the same time, Fubo’s advertising sales group will move to Disney’s organization.
At the same time, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV will continue to be available to consumers as “separate and distinct services.” They will both offer multiple plan options “from skinny to robust at compelling price points.” Hulu + Live TV will continue to be streamed in the Hulu app and offered as part of a bundle with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.
Thanks to the new merger, subscribers will enjoy more than 55,000 live sporting events, and entertainment-focused programming offerings from Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.
As part of the deal, Disney also offered Fubo a $145 million term loan in 2026. Their new merger is expected to lead to content cost savings, which are possible through “more flexible programming packaging, advertising optimization and sales and marketing opportunities.”
“It is a privilege to join Fubo as chairman at such a transformative time for the company,” Fubo chairman Andy Bird said in a statement. “Today’s announcement brings together two industry-leading brands and a compelling set of resources that uniquely position us to meet the evolving needs of today’s consumer.”
Fubo Co-founder and CEO David Gandler, who will operate the Fubo and Hulu + Live TV merger, shared, “Since Fubo’s founding a decade ago, our vision has always been to build a consumer-first streaming platform defined by innovation and value. Together with Disney, we’re creating a more flexible streaming ecosystem that gives consumers greater choice, while driving profitability and sustainable growth.”
Disney+ Has Recently Undergone a Major Price Spike
Patrick Brown / ©FX on Hulu / Courtesy of FX on Hulu via Everett Collection
Although Walt Disney has been under fire recently after the whole Jimmy Kimmel debacle, the House of Mouse has continued to raise its prices, with a major increase on Oct. 21.
After the new price surge, Disney+’s subscribers for the standalone service in the U.S. saw a $2 price hike, from $9.99 a month to $11.99 per month. Hulu’s standalone plan with ads has also increased by $2, from $9.99 to $11.99 per month. Hulu’s premium plan with no ads remained at its current rate of $18.99 per month. Premium plans have also seen a price surge.
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