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The landscape of at-home entertainment is set to change as Disney readies a unified streaming platform.
During a financial review, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared that a preliminary version of this integrated app, merging Disney+ with Hulu's offerings, will be accessible to certain subscribers as soon as December.
The anticipated broader release is slated for the spring season of the coming year. However, expectations are managed with a forecast that the full advantages of this consolidation may only materialize by 2025.
The upcoming beta service is tailored with parental supervision in mind. It will include options to create profiles for children and manage what they can watch. The introduction of this early version is partly to give families ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with and adjust to the broader range of content that Hulu brings to the table.
Simplified Streaming Service Coming
This move follows Disney's declaration in May about its intention to incorporate Hulu content into Disney+. There’s an assurance that both platforms will maintain their independence for those who prefer to use them separately.
Additionally, Disney is set to become the sole proprietor of Hulu following an agreement to acquire Comcast's residual stake, expected to conclude next year. The creation of a joint app promises to be a boon for subscribers who presently pay for both services and enjoy a reduced rate.
In the fiscal quarter ending 2023, Disney+ saw a substantial subscriber increase, adding nearly seven million to its core base. The streaming giant now boasts a customer count of 112 million. Adjustments were made with a price rise for the ad-free service in October and a forthcoming policy to counteract password sharing in 2024.
Despite these changes, Disney remains confident that its streaming ventures, including ESPN+, will achieve profitability as forecasted by the following year, supported by increased subscription fees and expected growth margins.
Disney's performance is gaining ground as Netflix faces a slowdown, with Disney+ adding millions more subscribers while Netflix recently reported its first subscriber loss in over a decade.
Photo: Tech Daily/Unsplash
