Disney to Fully Merge Hulu Into Disney+ With Unified Streaming App in 2026

Summary:

• Hulu will fully integrate into Disney+ by 2026, creating a single streaming app with ESPN content.

• The standalone Hulu app will be discontinued next year as part of the integration.

• Disney CEO Bob Iger promises an enhanced entertainment package with improved features and a more personalized experience.

Hulu isn’t disappearing — but its standalone app is.

During Disney’s Aug. 6 earnings call, CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the company will fully integrate Hulu into Disney+ by 2026, creating a single, unified streaming app that will also incorporate ESPN content. While Hulu and Disney+ will still be available as standalone subscriptions, the existing Hulu app will sunset next year.

Hulu will be “fully integrated” into Disney+ in 2026.

The standalone Hulu app will be shut down. pic.twitter.com/3RzWYRZyJL

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 6, 2025

“This will create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news, and industry-leading live sports content in a single app,” Iger said, hinting that live sports from ESPN will be part of the offering.

The move follows Disney’s full acquisition of Hulu in June, after years of shared ownership with Fox and Comcast. In early 2024, Disney+ subscribers could already upgrade to a bundle that placed Hulu directly on the Disney+ home screen — a step toward this deeper integration.

Hulu will now serve as Disney’s global general entertainment brand, replacing the Star tile in international Disney+ markets. “Over the coming months, we will be implementing improvements within the Disney+ app, including exciting new features and a more personalized homepage, all of which will culminate with the unified Disney+ and Hulu streaming app experience that will be available to consumers next year,” Iger told investors.

Disney also announced that it will stop reporting quarterly subscriber and ARPU numbers for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ starting in fiscal 2026, focusing instead on profitability. The shift mirrors Netflix’s recent decision to limit subscriber disclosures.

The standalone ESPN streaming service launches Aug. 21 at $29.99 per month, or bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for $35.99 with ads (discounted to $29.99 for the first year). An ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ESPN will run $44.99 monthly, though ESPN’s app will carry ads at all tiers.

Iger said combining the apps will lead to “a far better consumer experience” with lower churn, improved advertising packages, and potential cost efficiencies. “It also provides us with a tremendous bundling experience,” he noted.

The integration marks Disney’s latest play in an industry trending toward consolidation, as streamers cut costs, raise prices, and lean into bundled experiences.