Disney is making major changes to its streaming services worldwide. Starting October 8, Hulu will become Disney’s global entertainment brand for adult content on Disney+, replacing the Star brand in international markets. This move sets the stage for Disney to eventually merge its streaming apps into one unified experience.
The change comes with a significant redesign of the Disney+ app that will roll out over the coming weeks and months. Subscribers will notice a new “For You” landing page powered by an improved algorithm that learns viewing habits. A navigation bar across the top will split content by service—Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN (where available)—making it easier to browse each library separately.
“The power and value of the Hulu brand will reach worldwide audiences beginning October 8,” Disney stated in its announcement, highlighting this as preparation for “a fully integrated unified app experience next year.”
Southeast Asian viewers will see additional changes on October 9, when Disney+ Hotstar will be rebranded simply as Disney+ across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This follows earlier changes in India, where Disney+ Hotstar merged with JioCinema to become JioHotstar.
The redesigned app introduces several new features to improve navigation and content discovery:
A “Live” hub that consolidates live news, sports, events and 24/7 streams
Content badges indicating “Season Finale,” “New Series,” and “New Movie”
More cinematic poster-style artwork
A dynamic video display in the main carousel
iOS widgets that provide one-tap access to programming
Disney is completely rebuilding its recommendation system to offer more personalized suggestions across the platform. User profiles will become more prominent to keep viewing habits separate.
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For Southeast Asian subscribers, the Hulu tile will introduce a slate of U.S., Korean, and Japanese originals, including Ryan Murphy’s legal drama “All’s Fair” featuring Glenn Close and Kim Kardashian, Korean romantic comedy “Would You Marry Me?”, action thriller “The Manipulated”, and Japanese anime “WANDANCE.” These will complement existing hits like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Modern Family,” and “Shōgun.”
The streaming consolidation comes as Disney aims to improve its financial performance. The company’s direct‑to‑consumer division had reported a $512 million loss in Q3 FY2023, but by Q3 FY2024 it returned to a $47 million profit, creating pressure to cut costs while growing subscribers. Unifying brands and enhancing content discovery could help reduce subscriber turnover.
While Disney plans to eventually retire the standalone Hulu app, the company has indicated this won’t happen until 2026 in the United States. During the transition, U.S. subscribers can continue to access Hulu as both a standalone service and through the Disney+ app.
Disney will also implement price increases across its streaming services effective October 21. Disney+ ad-supported will rise to $11.99 per month and Disney+ Premium to $18.99 per month, with Hulu ad-supported increasing to $11.99 per month and various bundles adjusting accordingly.
These changes reflect Disney’s strategic shift toward measuring success through engagement and profitability rather than raw subscriber numbers, as the company positions itself to compete more effectively against Netflix and Prime Video in the increasingly crowded streaming market.