Disney CEO Bob Iger reveals during Q4 earnings call that the company will launch the beta version of the app in December, while the official rollout will take place in 2024.
- Nov 9, 2023
AceShowbiz - Disney+ and Hulu's combined app will be coming soon. Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during Q4 earnings call on Wednesday, November 8 that the company would launch the beta version of the app in December.
"We remain on track to roll out a more unified one-app experience domestically, making extensive general entertainment content available to bundle subscribers via Disney+," Iger said. The beta version is for subscribers of the two-service bundle.
Iger noted that the early launch would give time for parents to set up parental controls as Disney+ customers will be able to access adult-oriented Hulu content following the merger. "We are basically putting it in beta so that we can prepare parents, largely, to basically implement parental controls, because you'll be able to access Hulu programming on the same app," he explained.
The CEO added that Disney+ expected "upsell capabilities, in terms of increasing engagement" through the combination. He shared, "We found that where we bundle, we lower churn. And again, these are steps that are all taken to make [streaming] a great business."
Meanwhile, the official launch of the app is scheduled to take place in spring 2024.
The news came after Disney announced that it purchased Comcast's remaining stake in Hulu for $8.5 billion. The company further hinted at more collaboration between the two companies when they revealed that Marvel's "Echo" will be released on Hulu and Disney+ on the same day.
The bundle subscribers have to pay $9.99 per month with ads, and $19.99 per month for the one without ads. The two streaming platforms, however, still allow people to subscribe to the platforms separately even after the merge.
Back to Wednesday's earnings call, Iger admitted that they were focusing on "building" this as they're in a "period of fixing" after a rough 2023. He additionally announced one big milestone for Disney+ as the streaming platform has officially reached the 150 million subscriber mark.
