Posted Tue May 14, 2019 at 02:00 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
The company is now in full control of the streaming platform.
Disney and Comcast have announced a new deal granting Disney full operational control over the Hulu streaming service. Though Comcast still has a 33% ownership stake in the platform, that equity is now under a "put/call" agreement.
As part of the "put/call" deal, Comcast can require Disney to buy NBCUniversal's stake in Hulu by as early as January 2024. Likewise, Disney has the right to require NBCUniversal to sell its stake to Disney for its fair market value at that same time. In addition, both companies are funding the purchase of AT&T's previous 9.5% stake in Hulu.
Meanwhile, despite the shift in control, Comcast has agreed to extend Hulu's streaming license of NBCUniversal content and Hulu's Live TV support of NBCUniversal channels until late 2024. Likewise, Comcast will continue to offer access to Hulu via its Xfinity X1 platform. With that said, NBCUniversal will have the option to terminate most of its Hulu content license agreements in three years and the company will have the right to stream select content currently exclusive to Hulu on its own OTT service in one year.
Beyond Hulu, Disney also has its own Disney+ streaming service set to launch in the US on November 12 for $7 per month. The platform will be home to a host of exclusive shows and movies, including new series based on Star Wars and Marvel properties.
A current Hulu subscription starts at $6 per month with commercials. In addition, ad-free playback is available for $12 per month and Live TV bundle is available for $45.
Source: Comcast
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