Disney confirms that Hulu is not shutting down

Disney has officially responded to the sparking rumours of Hulu’s shutdown stating that Hulu is not going anywhere.

Instead, the platform will be integrated into a newly developed “unified” streaming app alongside Disney and ESPN in 2026.

Disney revealed this major plan following its August 6 earnings call, where CEO Bob Iger outlined the future strategy of the company to integrate its streaming service into a single, comprehensive experience.

The newly developed app will merge Hulu’s general entertainment including Disney+ family and franchise content and ESPN’s live sports offering into one seamless platform.

As per the official statement, Hulu and Disney+ will remain available as standalone services. This will give users one simplified platform to access everything in one place.

This initiative supports Disney’s gradual merging of its platforms.

Since 2024, the “Hulu on Disney+” feature has enabled subscribers to utilise both services within a single interface.

The full integration of the app will be done in 2026 where it will provide a more cohesive viewing experience.

The announcement also reflected ESPN’s growing presence in Disney’s streaming strategy.

ESPN’s standalone streaming app is set to launch on August 21, 2025 and will be available for $29.99 per month.

Disney has also shared its updated pricing plan for the bundled subscriptions:

• With ads (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+): $35.99/month
• Ad-free (Disney+ and Hulu only): $44.99/month

Industry experts shared that this decision is made to combat rising costs of consolidated services, password sharing crackdowns, and saturated audiences.

By integrating Hulu, Disney focuses on strengthening its competitive edge against its rivals such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Discovery+, and Warner Bros.