Long before Hulu merges with D+, I think we'll see ESPN merge with Hulu.
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Disney's Streaming Services: Disney+ (and Hulu, ESPN+, Star, & hotstar)
- Thread starter MisterPenguin
- Start date
Disney Irish
Premium Member
I don’t see that happening, at least not before the D+/Hulu merge.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I really love that I’m in Canada and only need Disney+.
Star has brought some great stuff to the app from Hulu.
Star has brought some great stuff to the app from Hulu.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
It has always been billed as the ability to watch ESPN+ Live Sports on Hulu with the ESPN+ Subscription, no different than watching other live programs on Hulu with Hulu Live. So not saying you're wrong, but I don't see that as the merger of Hulu and ESPN as they are both still separate at least for now. I still expect to see Hulu and D+ completely merge in the future and be offered just like D+/Star outside the US.
Either way I think we can agree the merger of the US bundle is happening, and that the US bundle as it is today will likely not exist longer term.
That only happened this past March.
ESPN+ now available on Hulu platform
Hulu users can now access ESPN+, Disney’s subscription sports streaming service, directly through the Hulu app. | Hulu users can now access ESPN+, Disney’s subscription sports streaming service, directly through the Hulu app.
With HULU Live, you could always have watched ESPN cable channels but not ESPN+ streaming content.
And you could have gotten ESPN+ as an addition bundle with Hulu.
But the integration of ESPN+ as a hub within Hulu (just like FX and Hotstar were added as 'hubs') was only this past March.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
What I meant is when it was released it was sold as the ability to watch ESPN+ Live Sports on Hulu with the ESPN+ Subscription. Its not the same as D+/Star where its completely merged, that is my point. Except in Latin America (maybe one or two other regions) you can't get Star outside of D+, that is not the case here. You can still get ESPN+ outside of Hulu, at least for now. Will it completely merge in the future so that you can only get ESPN+ in Hulu, possibly but doubt it, I still believe that it'll happen with Hulu and D+ first. As a completely merged all movie bundle (just like D+/Star has already done outside the US) with D+/Hulu makes more sense than a Hulu/ESPN+ completely merged bundle.That only happened this past March.
ESPN+ now available on Hulu platform
Hulu users can now access ESPN+, Disney’s subscription sports streaming service, directly through the Hulu app. | Hulu users can now access ESPN+, Disney’s subscription sports streaming service, directly through the Hulu app.www.fiercevideo.com
With HULU Live, you could always have watched ESPN cable channels but not ESPN+ streaming content.
And you could have gotten ESPN+ as an addition bundle with Hulu.
But the integration of ESPN+ as a hub within Hulu (just like FX and Hotstar were added as 'hubs') was only this past March.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
Agreed it's all likely just temporary until they get full control in 2024 and can re-package it in such ways.
Of course, I also expect the remnants of cable to be dying off in the coming years so that ESPN would ultimately be just ESPN+ as the only existing version of a premium sports option and then it could appeal again on its own to sports fans.
Same for Disney Channel and Disney Junior just becoming the younger programming content on D+ when the cable channels cease to exist.
Also think it likely they could just simply make the movie part "Star" at that point either as a tile on D+ as it is elsewhere or as an add-on and "Hulu" simply the Live TV option.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Personally I don't see the death of cable, at least not in the way it appears you do.
Eventually I suspect that there will be replacement for cable, a way to get all the streaming services you want bundle together for one price. And the reason why I think this is because not everyone wants to pay for individual streaming services. As it is now just here in the US we have 3 main streaming providers with Netflix, D+/Hulu, and Amazon, with several more bringing up the rear with AppleTV+, Paramount+, Peacock, and HBOMax. And that is not to mention all the numerous smaller ones and all the ones outside the US. Add just the 3 main providers and 1 of the smaller ones together and you are effectively paying the same amount as a basic cable package. Meaning all those cord cutters that were tired of paying the cable prices and switched to streaming are basically right back where they were before. And to add insult to injury STILL getting content you may not want, which is part of the reason for the switch in the first place. Most people I know have at least the 3 main providers, so in reality most aren't saving what they expected by dumping cable. And with prices on the rise it'll just get worse.
The solution I see in the future is a service provider that will bundle all the different streaming services you want together for one single price offered in a single interface, effectively a replacement for the traditional cable provider. Heck it may end up being one of the existing cable providers that offers this service, they may even be trying to work on this now for all we know.
So no I don't see the death of cable coming, at least not a complete death of cable, but rather a transition to a new type of cable provider for streaming services.
Slpy3270
Well-Known Member
Disney+ to Launch in 42 Countries This Summer
The streaming service will debut in new countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
Disney+ to launch this Summer in:
*Albania
*Algeria
*Andorra
*Bahrain
*Bosnia
*Herzegovina
*Bulgaria
*Croatia
*Czech Republic
*Egypt
*Estonia
*Greece
*Hungary
*Iraq
*Israel
*Jordan
*Kosovo
*Kuwait
*Latvia
*Lebanon
*Libya
*Liechtenstein
*Lithuania
*Malta
*Montenegro
*Morocco
*North Macedonia
*Oman
*Palestine (!!!)
*Poland
*Qatar
*Romania
*San Marino
*Saudi Arabia
*Serbia
*Slovakia
*Slovenia
*South Africa
*Tunisia
*Turkey
*United Arab Emirates
*Vatican City
*Yemen
As well as territories:
*Faroe Islands
*French Polynesia
*French Southern Territories
*St. Pierre and Miquelon Overseas Collective, *Åland Islands
*Sint Maarten
*Svalbard & Jan Mayen
*British Indian Ocean Territory
*Gibraltar
*Pitcairn Islands
*St.Helena
Notably absent: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Guessing given the issues between the latter two right now Disney must be walking a tightrope.
A perfectly timed PR for stock investors.Disney+ to Launch in 42 Countries This Summer
The streaming service will debut in new countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Disney+ to launch this Summer in:
*Albania
*Algeria
*Andorra
*Bahrain
*Bosnia
*Herzegovina
*Bulgaria
*Croatia
*Czech Republic
*Egypt
*Estonia
*Greece
*Hungary
*Iraq
*Israel
*Jordan
*Kosovo
*Kuwait
*Latvia
*Lebanon
*Libya
*Liechtenstein
*Lithuania
*Malta
*Montenegro
*Morocco
*North Macedonia
*Oman
*Palestine (!!!)
*Poland
*Qatar
*Romania
*San Marino
*Saudi Arabia
*Serbia
*Slovakia
*Slovenia
*South Africa
*Tunisia
*Turkey
*United Arab Emirates
*Vatican City
*Yemen
As well as territories:
*Faroe Islands
*French Polynesia
*French Southern Territories
*St. Pierre and Miquelon Overseas Collective, *Åland Islands
*Sint Maarten
*Svalbard & Jan Mayen
*British Indian Ocean Territory
*Gibraltar
*Pitcairn Islands
*St.Helena
Notably absent: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Guessing given the issues between the latter two right now Disney must be walking a tightrope.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
Wow, Bosnia and Herzegovina?Disney+ to Launch in 42 Countries This Summer
The streaming service will debut in new countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Disney+ to launch this Summer in:
*Albania
*Algeria
*Andorra
*Bahrain
*Bosnia
*Herzegovina
*Bulgaria
*Croatia
*Czech Republic
*Egypt
*Estonia
*Greece
*Hungary
*Iraq
*Israel
*Jordan
*Kosovo
*Kuwait
*Latvia
*Lebanon
*Libya
*Liechtenstein
*Lithuania
*Malta
*Montenegro
*Morocco
*North Macedonia
*Oman
*Palestine (!!!)
*Poland
*Qatar
*Romania
*San Marino
*Saudi Arabia
*Serbia
*Slovakia
*Slovenia
*South Africa
*Tunisia
*Turkey
*United Arab Emirates
*Vatican City
*Yemen
As well as territories:
*Faroe Islands
*French Polynesia
*French Southern Territories
*St. Pierre and Miquelon Overseas Collective, *Åland Islands
*Sint Maarten
*Svalbard & Jan Mayen
*British Indian Ocean Territory
*Gibraltar
*Pitcairn Islands
*St.Helena
Notably absent: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Guessing given the issues between the latter two right now Disney must be walking a tightrope.
i guess a few of these have sufficient population to move the needle with subs.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
That's basically what I meant - that the former cable channels would simply exist as streaming services instead - and I agree, then someone will eventually bundle them. So the net result of having multiple different services bundled together to see a lot of content would be the same, they would just be served as streaming services rather than "cable channels".
Again, just anecdotally to me - I cut the cable cord ages ago. Saved a ton of money just buying a $25 pair of rabbit ears for network tv and made due otherwise with free (legal) streaming sites, until I started to buy in. I now have multiple streaming services but most are temporary cheap deals that I'll drop when the rate returns to their norm. I'd keep them if they stayed cheap but don't need them if they're not. And I'm still saving a ton from what I paid for cable, thankfully.
It would be a pain to keep track of, but honestly, there's not much need to pay for more than one service per month, binge/catch up, drop it, and do a different one the following month. Rinse and repeat. And then you're not paying more than $20 per month and you always have something new to watch. But it's effort that's not worth it for most folks, I suspect.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
Even more telling was the UK advert does not even delineate D+ and Star. Much to the chagrin of this argument several years ago, Disney has absolutely zero hang ups with the 'morality mixing' of 'the brands'. We've clearly been proven correct on that front.
Strictly if it doesn't happen at this point in the US comes down to the weirdness of Hulu's legacy. Which honestly as a non-US citizen I don't really care. D+ in Canada has over the last few weeks been on an aggressive Fx content bender. I'm surprised every week opening the site for Boba Fett the number of high profile series added. Seemingly lots of agreements are expiring.
It has become a super well rounded streamer here, arguably better than Netflix.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Exactly, it seems the only people still hanging onto "the brand" remaining pure is legacy US fans, who quite frankly are less likely to stream D+ anyways.
All one has to do is look at this:
They are advertising a mini-series that starts Feb 2nd that literally is about a s*x tape with the two main stars getting nude throughout the first two episodes. It is rated NC-17 and will be right on D+ outside the US, not even on Star, but right on D+ itself. So much for no nudity being on D+.
Of course here in the US it'll be on Hulu.
Point is its only here in the US where there is the "adult" silo still remaining, and in my opinion the clock is ticking down on how long that remains.
Oh and just a small note, I use a VPN that makes it seem like I'm in Canada just so I can have Star and all the adult content in one location. And I suspect a lot of US D+ subs do the same.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Maybe just semantics, but really it'd still be "cable" and suspect it'd be called that by most people since everything is still delivered via a "cable" of some kind. That is just my opinion anyways, nothing to argue over, lol.
I suspect, given the sub numbers anyways, that there isn't a large number of subs that are diligent enough to drop and resub regularly. Also I suspect eventually the providers will end up finding a way to prevent that and lock you into a long term sub or be in a "timeout" to prevent the constant drop/resub. I mean they are already finding ways to stop account sharing, so this will be the next thing to stop.
Anyways it'll be interesting to watch the landscape change even more, just to end up right back where it started in the cable model. And honestly I'd be up for paying for a single service to get all the streaming providers I want.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
As long as the a la carte model is available, too!
That was the downfall of cable IMO - if I only wanted HGTV, FX and AMC, there was absolutely no need for me to pay for FoxSports, CNBC and the Golf Channel (or whatever). There needs to be the ability to pick and choose AND an option (likely cheaper) for a bundle.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
You’re always going to get content you don’t want one way or another, it’s the nature of the business. If you sub to Netflix for example you’re not watching every single piece of content they have, because there will be plenty you don’t like. Yet you’re still paying for it whether you want that content or not.As long as the a la carte model is available, too!
The only true al a carte option will be to pay for individual seasons of shows or movies, the VOD/PVOD model. Think iTunes paying 9.99 for a movie, that type of model.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
I'm totally enjoying what I have now with my main services that I watch a lot of stuff on and then adding a deal on other services individually now and then to do a binge watch of specific things. So I still consider that a la carte even if I'm not watching everything on there. And it stays at a price point that works for me.
For me, I think that if I'm paying say $8/month and there's at least 6-8 things I've watched, I'm getting my value. If I'm paying $8/month and there's 12 things I've watched, I'm getting a better value and more likely to keep the service long term if that keeps up. But if I'm paying $45/month for a bunch of services and only watching 8 things total, then I am overpaying. Which again, is why I dropped cable. lol
Disney Irish
Premium Member
It all comes down to value and semantics. In the end there is still content you don't consume that you're still paying for, whether you find value in the overall service or not. Once the price point goes beyond where you see value then its no longer worth it for you even with all the extra content. In that way its still like cable, if the price point was the same as a streamer you'd likely still have cable.