Hulu isn’t going away after all — it’s going global

Disney is expanding Hulu to worldwide streaming audiences in preparation for the “unified” Disney Plus app experience that’s launching next year. Starting on October 8th, Hulu will replace Star — a Disney Plus hub available in non-US markets that features content from Disney-owned subsidiaries — in an effort to turn Hulu into an internationally recognized brand.

This announcement follows speculation that Hulu would disappear after being fully integrated with Disney Plus sometime in 2026. In August, Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors that the Star tile would be replaced in international markets “in the fall,” (which my colleague Andrew Webster predicted back in November 2023) with Hulu pitched to become the company’s “global general entertainment brand.” We have asked Disney if the Star branding is being retired entirely, given it’s well established in markets like India.

“With this change, and in preparation for a fully integrated unified app experience next year, users will begin to see further integrations of Hulu across the Disney Plus app as part of an ongoing and iterative slate of product updates on the homepage and beyond,” Disney said in a press release. “This includes a series of design and navigation enhancements rolling out over the coming weeks and months – offering a more dynamic and intuitive experience.”

These design changes for the Disney Plus streaming app include a new navigation bar with dedicated tabs for accessing Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN content catalogs, depending on the user’s subscription. Badge tags like “Season Finale,” “New Series,” and “New Movie” will be added to make timely or relevant content easier for users to spot while browsing. Profiles will also become more prominent across the updated UI, and Disney says its algorithm has been updated to improve personalized recommendations based on viewing habits.

Disney’s mobile experience will introduce iOS widgets that take users to shows or movies in a single click, with additional “mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences” being introduced in the coming year, according to Disney. Specific release dates haven’t been provided for these updates, but Disney is aiming to have them rolled out before it launches the fully unified Disney Plus app.