Hulu

Hulu (, HOO-loo) is an American subscription streaming television service owned by The Walt Disney Company and operated through Disney Streaming, part of the Disney Entertainment business segment. As of September 2025, Hulu had 64.1 million paid subscribers. The service is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with additional offices in Santa Monica, California, New York City and Seattle, Washington. Established in October 2007 as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBCUniversal, Hulu was publicly launched in March 2008. Providence Equity, Disney and Time Warner subsequently acquired stakes in the company. Hulu initially operated as an advertising-supported streaming platform, offering recent episodes of television programs from participating networks, including ABC, NBC and the Fox Broadcasting Company. In 2010, it introduced a subscription service called "Hulu Plus", providing access to full seasons of television series and additional content. The "Plus" branding was dropped in 2015, and Hulu discontinued its free streaming service in 2016, transferring much of its free content to Yahoo! View to focus on paid subscriptions. In 2017, Hulu launched Hulu + Live TV, which combined its on-demand library with live broadcast and cable television channels. In 2019, Disney acquired a majority stake in Hulu through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox and assumed full operational control of the service. Disney subsequently acquired the remaining ownership interests held by AT&T and Comcast, completing its acquisition of Hulu in June 2025. Following Disney's acquisition, Hulu became increasingly integrated with its sister streaming service, Disney+, including the introduction of a Hulu content hub within Disney+ in March 2024. Disney subsequently announced plans for a more unified streaming experience while maintaining separate subscription offerings. In May 2026, the company stated that it had no current plans to discontinue the standalone Hulu application. Outside the United States, a separate Japanese version of Hulu was launched in 2011 and has operated independently under Nippon Television since 2014. Hulu did not otherwise pursue a wider international expansion until October 2025, when Disney introduced Hulu as the global general entertainment brand within Disney+, replacing Star in international markets except Japan. In January 2025, Disney announced an agreement to combine Hulu + Live TV with competing streaming television provider FuboTV, giving Disney a 70% controlling interest in the merged business. The transaction was completed on October 29, 2025, with both services continuing to operate as separate offerings under the leadership of Fubo CEO David Gandler.

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