Disney+ and Hulu Merge: What the Unified App Means for Your Streaming Future

The streaming giants are combining forces by 2026, bringing all your favorite shows under one roof and introducing major platform changes starting this month.

Image: Disney The Road to Unification: How Hulu Joins Disney+ for a New Era

Hulu, a familiar name in streaming since its launch around 2008, is officially phasing out its standalone app. Disney has confirmed that by 2026, Hulu’s extensive content library will be fully integrated into a single, unified Disney+ application.

This move follows Disney's complete acquisition of Hulu from Comcast earlier this year, finalizing a deal that gave the entertainment giant full control of the platform, as reported by Variety and Hindustan Times. Disney first became a majority stakeholder in Hulu back in 2019.

Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston stated in August, as per Variety, that this integrated app will create an "improved consumer" experience. They anticipate "tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization" for subscribers.

The company expects this consolidation to boost profitability and margins in its streaming business. This will come through higher engagement, lower churn, and increased advertising revenue potential. Operational efficiencies may also lead to savings that can be reinvested into content.

Key Dates and Upcoming Changes for Streaming Subscribers

The transition is already underway, with significant changes scheduled for late 2025 and the full merger expected in 2026.

As of October 8, 2025, Hulu officially replaced the Star brand as the global general entertainment hub on Disney+ in international markets, according to Variety and Media Play News. This marks Hulu's first major international expansion, aiming to increase brand awareness and leverage Disney's global marketing efforts.

Stateside, U.S. subscribers will begin to see deeper Hulu content integrations within the Disney+ app starting this month, October 2025. These are part of an "ongoing and iterative slate of product updates on the homepage and beyond," Disney announced, as reported by al.com and AOL.

While the standalone Hulu app will eventually disappear by 2026, the "Hulu" name itself will not vanish completely. Disney plans to market its mature content internationally as "Hulu on Disney+" to maintain brand recognition, especially for audiences familiar with Hulu's award-winning originals.

Even after the unified app experience launches, customers will still have the option to purchase standalone Disney+ or Hulu subscriptions. This means flexibility remains for those who prefer separate access, as noted by Variety.

Major Price Adjustments Hit Popular Streaming Services This October

The integration coincides with new price hikes across Disney’s streaming portfolio, taking effect on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, according to AOL and Hindustan Times.

Here’s a breakdown of the new monthly prices:

• Disney+ with ads: Increasing from $9.99 to $11.99 per month.
• Disney+ Premium (no ads): Jumping from $15.99 to $18.99 per month.
• Hulu with ads: Rising from $9.99 to $11.99 per month.
• Hulu ad-free: This tier will remain at $18.99 per month.
• Hulu + Live TV with ads: Experiencing the steepest increase, rising $7 to $90 per month.
• ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+): Increasing by $1 to $12.99 per month.

These price adjustments, Disney explained, reflect the expanded content library and ongoing investment in new original programming that the unified Disney+/Hulu platform aims to provide, as highlighted by Hindustan Times.

An Enhanced User Experience: Navigating the New Disney+ Interface

As part of the integration, Disney+ is rolling out a series of design and navigation enhancements over the coming weeks and months. These updates promise a "more dynamic and intuitive experience" for users, as detailed by Variety and What Hi-Fi?.

Key improvements include:

• Simplified Navigation: A new navigation bar has been added to the top of the homepage.
• Personalized "For You" Tab: The "For You" tab will be the first screen subscribers see upon opening Disney+. It will serve as the new home base for recommended viewing, powered by an updated algorithm that learns user preferences over time.
• Dedicated Content Tabs: Users will find separate tabs for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN content, depending on their subscription, making it easier to explore each catalog individually.
• Live Hub Access: A dedicated Live hub in the main vertical navigation will offer direct access to the latest live news, sports, events, and 24/7 streams.
• New Badging Tags: The interface will feature new tags like "Season Finale," "New Series," and "New Movie" to highlight timely and unique content.
• Prominent Profiles: User profiles will be more visible, ensuring that personalized recommendations based on unique viewing habits are easily accessible.
• Dynamic Homepage: A modern design will bring characters and stories front and center, with a new video display in the hero carousel and a more dynamic brand row showcasing the latest titles. Content sets will also feature more cinematic, poster-style artwork.
• Mobile Enhancements: For mobile users, iOS widgets are launching to provide one-click access to programming. Disney also plans to introduce mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences in the year ahead to expand reach and engage new audiences.

These enhancements are just the beginning, with additional updates planned leading up to the full launch of the unified app experience next year, according to Disney's official statements via Variety and Media Play News.

Hulu's Legacy: A Pioneer in the Original Streaming Wars

Hulu’s impending app shutdown marks the end of an era for the original streaming wars, a battle initially waged between Netflix and Hulu, as observed by ScreenRant. Netflix, which launched its streaming platform in 2007, was quickly met with a significant competitor in Hulu.

When Hulu launched in 2008, it offered a distinct product. While Netflix focused on older movies and TV shows, Hulu revolutionized viewing by providing next-day streaming of network TV episodes. This was a game-changer, allowing viewers to keep up with their favorite series without needing cable television.

The competition intensified when both platforms began producing original content. Netflix debuted "House of Cards" in 2013, followed by Hulu's first original series, "Difficult People," in 2015. Over the years, Hulu became known for its adult-oriented programming and critically acclaimed titles, such as "The Handmaid's Tale," and even more mature content like "Sons of Anarchy" in its bundle, as noted by NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Hindustan Times.

Despite its success in carving out a niche, especially with its focus on adult content, Hulu's subscriber numbers never quite matched those of Netflix. Even as Hulu's numbers trended upward, Netflix's massive global reach and broad appeal positioned it as the victor of the initial streaming war, according to ScreenRant's analysis.

Hulu’s content strategy, centered on adult television, proved highly effective for its target audience. However, analysts suggest it could not compete on the same scale as Netflix, which caters to a much broader demographic. This difference in scale ultimately influenced Disney's decision to integrate Hulu into Disney+, aiming to create a stronger, more versatile competitor in the evolving streaming landscape.

Beyond Subscribers: A New Era for Measuring Streaming Success

The streaming industry is undergoing a significant shift in how it measures success. Disney+ recently announced that it would no longer disclose its subscriber numbers, as this metric is becoming less indicative of a platform's overall performance. Instead, viewership time is emerging as the new "golden standard," according to ScreenRant, referencing The New York Times.

This change reflects a mature streaming market where retaining viewer engagement is paramount. In this new landscape, YouTube currently leads in U.S. TV viewing time, accounting for just over 12%. Netflix follows in second place with 7% of viewing time, while Disney+ holds 5%, as per The New York Times.

Hulu's merger with Disney+ is designed to enhance Disney+'s position in this new era. The viewing time accumulated by Hulu's popular originals, like the currently airing "Only Murders in the Building" Season 5, will now directly contribute to Disney+'s overall engagement metrics. This strategic consolidation is aimed at boosting Disney+'s share of total TV viewing time, making it a more formidable contender against long-standing giants like Netflix and the unexpected leader, YouTube.

This pivot signifies that the focus is no longer solely on acquiring new subscribers, but on maximizing the engagement of existing ones across a more diverse and integrated content library. The unified app experience is expected to drive higher viewer retention and time spent on the platform, aligning with this evolving definition of success.

What This Means for Viewers: Content, Convenience, and Choice

For current Disney+ and Hulu subscribers, the upcoming merger promises a more streamlined and convenient viewing experience. By 2026, the days of switching between two different apps to access content from both platforms will be over, replaced by a single, comprehensive destination.

All your favorite Hulu originals, from ongoing hits like "Only Murders in the Building" to other popular series such as "Tell Me Lies" and "Paradise," will remain readily available. Concerns about adult-oriented content from Hulu being restricted on Disney+ have largely been alleviated, as the current Disney+ and Hulu bundle already hosts mature programming, as noted by NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.

The new user interface and enhanced personalization features are designed to make content discovery easier and more enjoyable, directing you to shows and movies most relevant to your tastes. While pricing is increasing for many plans, the value proposition is framed around a richer, more integrated content library.

Ultimately, the merger aims to offer a "differentiated streaming offering," providing subscribers with greater choice and convenience under one unified brand. This consolidation is a significant step in the ongoing evolution of streaming, promising a refined experience for fans as Disney seeks to strengthen its position in a highly competitive market.