Cliff Notes – ‘Top-tier’ streaming service finally arriving in the UK after 18 years
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Hulu will be integrated into Disney Plus in the UK, replacing the Star brand, allowing UK viewers access to popular shows like The Bear and Rivals.
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The merger aims to synchronise episode releases with the US, potentially eliminating long waits for new content for UK subscribers.
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Concerns among US Hulu users include potential price increases and app usability, while Disney assures that standalone Hulu subscriptions will remain available.
Hulu is home to hit TV show Rivals in the US (Picture: Robert Viglasky/Disney)
18 years after it first launched, Hulu will soon be available to watch in the UK for the first time.
However, it won’t be a standalone app. Instead, Hulu is being integrated into Disney Plus, after Disney acquired full ownership of the service in June.
The Hulu brand will replace Star on Disney Plus in the UK, which is currently home to Only Murders in the Building, Grey’s Anatomy, The Kardashians and more.
Disney plans to roll Hulu and Disney Plus into one Entertainment service, and the change could come as early as this autumn.
The news comes just weeks after Disney Plus began a content-sharing partnership with ITV, which sees the services in the UK running select batches of each other’s content.
But what does this change mean for Disney Plus subscribers?
The content available to watch on the streaming service is unlikely to change a huge deal, because Star hosts content that already comes from Disney-owned studios such as FX Networks, 20th Century Entertainment and Hulu.
The Bear is available via Star on Disney Plus, which will soon be replaced by Hulu (Picture: AP)
Recent Disney Plus release Washington Black is also available on Hulu (Picture: AP)
In fact, Disney Plus subscribers in the UK already have access to a range of popular content that is available on Hulu in the US, including The Bear, Washington Black, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Rivals.
Meanwhile, other popular Hulu shows are available to stream elsewhere in the UK, such as The Handmaid’s Tale, which can be watched via Channel 4.
But the change could mean that UK viewers will get access to episodes of popular shows at the same time as those in the US, rather than having to wait months for the latest episodes to arrive on the streamer.
The Handmaid’s Tale is available on Hulu in the US and Channel 4 in the UK (Picture: AP)
What do Hulu users think?
Some Hulu users in the US are wary of the merge with Disney Plus, and several are concerned it will result in a price increase.
Reddit user ren_zillacommented on a post in r/hulu: ‘As someone who has the Spotify student bundle with Hulu, this’ll cost me even more money and I’m sure they’ll take that deal away from me as well’.
Others were concerned about how user-friendly the app will be, with irishguy_2012 writing: ‘I’d be fine if they redesigned the main Disney+ app a bit,’ and dsm1324 adding, ‘I wish they would put the Disney content on Hulu instead…the Disney app is glitchy and I hate using it.’
Hulu has received positive reviews over the years, with PC Mag calling it a ‘top-tier’ streaming service and awarding it the title of best streaming service for live and on-demand content — so it’s not surprising that some users are concerned about the change.
However, in the US, a stand-alone Hulu subscription will still be available for customers not interested in a bundle with Disney Plus.
Meanwhile, other users were less concerned about the merge, with crestroncp3user writing: ‘It doesn’t bother me. I haven’t used the Hulu app since Hulu first integrated into Disney+. Disney+ is the better app of the two.’
The Hulu brand has existed in the US since 2007, but Disney gained a stake in 2019. It wasn’t until June 2025 that Disney achieved full ownership of Hulu.
Disney has been running Disney Plus and Hulu as two separate apps in the US, but that will change after the two are merged next year.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston said in a statement: ‘We are announcing a major step forward in strengthening our streaming offering by fully integrating Hulu into Disney+.
‘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.’
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