Hulu Streaming App to End in 2026 — Here’s What Will Replace It

Disney is saying goodbye to the stand‑alone Hulu app. Starting in 2026, Hulu will be fully merged into Disney+, creating one big streaming app for both services. Disney says people will still be able to subscribe to Hulu or Disney+ separately if they want, but the main focus will be on one combined app.

This move comes straight from Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston, who talked about it during the company’s quarterly earnings report. “Today we are announcing a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering by fully integrating Hulu into Disney+,” they said.

“This will create an impressive package of entertainment, pairing the highest-caliber brands and franchises, great general entertainment, family programming, news and industry-leading live sports content in a single app.”

Iger said putting both services into one app will make streaming easier and more enjoyable for customers. He also said it should lower cancellations and save the company money because both will run on the same technology. Disney is also looking to boost ad sales by combining them into a single platform, since it already sells ads for Hulu and Disney+ together.

The company believes this all‑in‑one approach will keep viewers watching longer and make the service more profitable. In their prepared remarks, Iger and Johnston said, “By creating a truly differentiated streaming offering, we will be providing subscribers tremendous choice, convenience, quality, and enhanced personalization. This will enhance our ability to continue to grow profitability and margins in our entertainment streaming business through expected higher engagement, lower churn, and advertising revenue potential, as well as operational efficiencies that over time may result in savings that we can reinvest back into the business.”

Hulu is also getting a global makeover. Starting in fall 2025, it will replace the Star section inside Disney+ for international users, becoming Disney’s worldwide general entertainment brand.

Disney is making other changes too. Hulu’s live TV customers will be moved to Fubo under a new joint venture mostly owned by Disney. The company also announced it will stop sharing subscriber numbers for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, following what Netflix has done.

And there’s one more big launch coming. Disney says its new stand‑alone ESPN streaming service will debut on August 21 for $29.99 a month.

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