Hulu on Disney+ has officially launched in the U.S. for subscribers of the Disney Bundle, marking another step towards a single app experience with Hulu content now fully integrated following a beta launch in December.
Disney is combining content from Hulu (of which it took full ownership of after buying out Comcast’s stake last year) into the Disney+ SVOD and previously cited strong success with the beta phase. In early January Disney President of Global Advertising Rita Ferro said the beta launch of Hulu on Disney+ “far exceeded every metric we had planned for it in the short period of time that we’ve had it.”
The new rollout, announced Wednesday, takes the integration further. During the beta phase viewers on Disney+ could access Hulu content within a dedicated Hulu hub, whereas with today’s launch, Hulu content is integrated into recommendations, sets and collections across the Disney+ app as well as on the homepage.
It’s available both to Disney Bundle subscribers and those who have subscriptions to both standalone Disney+ and Hulu apps. Disney Bundles are available starting at $9.99 per month, which includes access to ad-supported tiers of both Hulu and Disney+. Although Disney has ported over Hulu content, Disney+ and Hulu will continue to be offered as standalone streaming services. Users that only have Disney+, will see options within the app to upgrade their subscription to the Bundle and get Hulu content for an additional $2 per month.
In combining Hulu and Disney+ content, one of the key aims, according to Joe Earley, President of Direct-to-Consumer at Disney Entertainment, is to reduce friction as consumers don’t need to switch between apps, while also driving increased engagement with content and retention.
“It’s going to be exciting for titles like The Bear, Shōgun, and Only Murders in the Building. During the beta, we saw these titles performing really well with subscribers who typically had been watching more Disney+ content,” Earley said in the announcement. “I can only imagine what’s going to happen now with increased discoverability and integration on the homepage.”
The announcement also suggested the experience marrying Hulu’s more general entertainment content with family-focused and franchise favorites from Disney+ is resonating. Disney noted that during the beta phase from December through this week viewers watched a broader range of content across adult animation, dramas and comedies, which play into Hulu’s strengths. It also noted that Disney Bundle subscribers who signed up since the beta launch are watching more Hulu content on Disney+ than existing bundle subscribers.
In addition to expanded general entertainment content options from Hulu, the new app experience includes Disney+ user experience enhancements for personalization, viewing experience, and search, among others.
“This marks the most significant technical, operational, and product evolution for Disney+ since its launch – one that reflects a wider technology transformation that we have been undertaking,” said Araon LaBerge, president and CTO of Disney Entertainment and ESPN, in a statement. “That work is going to drive an enhanced, more engaging user experience with Disney+ and lays the foundation for the innovations and enhancements we are planning for the future.”
And while the integrated Hulu experience isn’t giving Disney+ a new name as of yet, the media company did launch a slightly refined logo alongside new color scheme – the latter which is dubbed “Aurora” with inspiration pulled from melding the respective signature green and legacy blue branding for the standalone Hulu and Disney+ apps.
Disney’s also launching a major marketing campaign in the coming weeks to promote the combined breadth of content, including out-of-home placements, custom broadcast and digital spots, cross-branded social media posts, and experiential stunts including on-site activations as the Disneyland and Walt Disney Word Resorts.
In terms of appeal of a combined Hulu-Disney+ catalog, December data from Ampere Analysis found the integrated app would be in a leading position. Together the Hulu-Disney+ catalog contains one-third of the 100 most popular titles in the U.S., more than any other competing SVOD as of Q3 2023. In addition to popular titles, Hulu-Disney+ combined has breadth, with more than 9,500 titles – second only to Amazon’s Prime Video library and outpacing the title count on Netflix, per Ampere.