Disney is taking full control of Hulu after reaching a deal with Comcast
Disney's massive empire has just once again expanded.
After reaching a deal with Comcast, Disney is officially taking full operational control of Hulu, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney ended up with a 60 percent stake in Hulu after acquiring 21st Century Fox assets, which included a 30 percent stake in the streaming service. Comcast held another 30 percent. There was also a 9.5 percent stake that AT&T sold back to Hulu in April, which gave Disney 66 percent ownership and Comcast 33 percent, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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Under the deal announced Tuesday, Disney immediately takes operational control of Hulu, and Comcast will sell its 33 percent stake to Disney within five years, Variety reports. NBCUniversal, which Comcast owns, will keep licensing content to Hulu during that time.
Disney is set to launch a new streaming service, Disney+, beginning in the fall, and Deadline reports that along with ESPN+, Disney sees Hulu as one of "three legs of the stool" in its streaming strategy.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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