Huluis a hugely popular streaming service, but that is about to come to an end as the platform is set to merge with Disney+, creating a harsh reminder of how far the service has come since its original launch. Disney announced a few days ago that it plans toshut down Hulu to merge the app with Disney+.
Discussions about merging Hulu and Disney have been ongoing since 2023, but now the deal is actually set to happen in the coming months.Hulu has had some great original showsand movies, along with providing access to other Disney-owned network and theatrical content, but its sad fate is even worse when considering where the streamer started in 2007.
Hulu Will Be Integrated Into Disney+ After Planned Merger
The Platform’s Content Will Still Be Available On The Updated Disney+ App
Though the Walt Disney Company has not announced a precise date for the dissolution of Hulu and the merger of the streaming service’s content with Disney+, the company has confirmed that this will be happening in the near future. Specifically, Disney has shared that it hopes to completely merge the two apps by 2026.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has had his mind set on merging Disney+ with Hulu for several years now, even before Disney fully owned the service. In June 2025, Disney finally reached a deal with Comcast to buy their shares in Hulu, making Disney the sole owner of Hulu, which allows them to discontinue the app.
In this sense, the merging of the two services' content has been a long time in the making. Likewise, since 2023, some of Hulu’s content has been available on Disney+ anyway, particularly for audiences in regions without Hulu (where the content falls under the Star brand).
Disney’s goal for the merger is to simplify the user experience. For audiences who already use both Hulu and Disney+, the updated version of Disney’s app will put everything in the same place. To this point, Hulu’s original shows and movies are not going away; they will simply be relocated.
Why The Hulu App Is Shutting Down For Good
The Change Highlights Disney’s Control Of The Platform & Content
Given that Hulu’s content will still be available on Disney+, audiences may be wondering why shutting down the app is necessary. This is only natural since Hulu’s original shows likeThe BearorShogunare prestige TV more geared towards adults, where Disney+ is arguably most known for Disney classics, Marvel Cinematic Universe content, and all thingsStar Wars.
Disney has an answer for this as well, though, as Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston explained in their recent announcement. The pair stated (viaVariety):
At the same time, the Disney CEO and CFO also made it clear that they expect this decision will also help create savings and increase the profit margin for the company, which can then be put back into developing an improved product for consumers. This will come in the form of improvements to the interface and more personalization.
Because Disney hopes to make significant updates to create a better user experience, streamlining Hulu and Disney+’s content makes sense as a part of that. Especially given that there is already so much integration between the two, shutting down the Hulu app likely made the most financial sense for Disney.
Hulu Was Free When It First Launched
Arguably, the biggest shock when thinking about the upcoming shutdown of Hulu is remembering just how far the platform has come since its creation in 2007. When Hulu first launched, it allowed users to watch shows provided by its then-distribution partners, AOL, MSN, Myspace, NBCUniversal, and Yahoo! for free with ads (viaBusinessWire).
Like free streaming services today, the ad revenue allowed audiences to access that content with no monetary commitment, just ad breaks. While this system may seem obvious to readers today, at the time, this was a revolutionary idea since the alternative was paying for cable, which also has ads.
Hulu’s beginning as an ad-supported free streaming service that spread across the internet through great word of mouth stands in stark contrast to where the platform is today. Hulu has undeniably been a huge success, but its 2008 public launch paints a picture of a different type of streaming service, one designed to benefit audiences.
Free episodes of popular TV shows were a huge win compared to expensive cable packages, where audiences did not have the luxury of choosing from seemingly endless options. In any case, the juxtaposition between free Hulu and modern streaming services charging for ad-tier packages certainly highlights how much things have changed.
Will Disney+’s Subscription Prices Increase After The Hulu Merger?
Disney Has Not Yet Announced Price Changes
The Walt Disney Company’s announcement of its plans to shutter the Hulu app did not outline any information on changing prices for the services. However,Varietydid note that it will still be possible to purchase a Hulu subscription without bundling it with Disney+, making the only difference being the app itself.
Likewise, for viewers wishing to bundle the two services in the combined Disney+ app, that will likely be similar to the current pricing for the bundle, which is $10.99 per month for ad-supported or $19.99 per month ad-free. If Disney adds other features to the new app, it is possible that prices will rise in conjunction.
Disney will still launch its stand-alone ESPN service on August 02, 2025, as previously announced.
As of the time of writing this article, Disney has also stated that the Live TV option for Huluwill continue to be sold, but will also be merged into Disney+ in the coming months. DespiteHuluending as a stand-alone service, its content is sure to remain a huge draw in Disney+’s future.
