Well, it’s officially here. After years of rumors, confirmation, and a beta period, Hulu is finally launching in the Disney+ app. In addition to the launch of Hulu, the app is also getting a new Hulu-fied logo and startup chime designed by the man behind the score of The Mandalorian.
In a blog post, the company announced that the new version of the Disney Plus app, logo and Hulu and all, is rolling out to subscribers of the Disney Bundle. The ultimate goal of the integration: “Engagement, retention, and happy, happy subscribers.”
Bundle subscribers will now have the full Hulu on Disney+ experience, which includes Hulu content integrated into recommendations, sets, and collections across Disney+, making it easier to discover thousands of general entertainment titles and explore the impressive breadth and depth of Hulu and Disney+ content.
Joe Earley, President of Direct-to-Consumer for Disney Entertainment, said in a statement, “What’s thrilling about the full launch of Hulu on Disney+ is we’re reducing friction for Bundle subscribers. During the beta, the Hulu content was purposefully isolated to the Hulu Hub, but now it will be fully integrated into Bundle subscribers’ homepages.”
“It’s going to be exciting for titles like The Bear, Shōgun, and Only Murders in the Building. During the beta, we saw these titles performing really well with subscribers who typically had been watching more Disney+ content,” Earley said. “I can only imagine what’s going to happen now with increased discoverability and integration on the homepage.”
Aaron LaBerge, President & CTO of Disney Entertainment & ESPN, said that “this launch represents the most extensive technical advancement to Disney+.”
“In fact, this launch represents the most extensive technical advancement to Disney+ and our streaming platform since we launched Disney+ over four years ago,” with multiple underlying product and technology elements being transformed that will play a role in how we enable future capabilities and strategic projects. “As is often the case, making something simple, elegant, and easy for consumers can be quite complex behind the scenes.”
Integrating Hulu more deeply into the Disney+ app could certainly create an issue for parents not wanting their kids to see anything more adult. Thankfully, Disney is already on top of this. “We know that consumers want ‘kid time,’ ‘we time,’ and ‘me time.’ Hulu on Disney+ now offers all of that and gives viewers options for their experience with parental controls and content settings,” said Earley.
It’s time to signal a change with a new logo
In addition to bringing Hulu into the Disney+ app, the update also comes with a bit of a rebranding. Disney has launched a new color scheme launch chime for the streaming app’s logo. The logo is a combination of Hulu’s signature green and Disney+’s legacy blue and the chime was created by Academy Award®-winning composer Ludwig Göransson.
“The color is named Aurora, both for the aurora borealis, but also as an homage to Princess Aurora,” Earley said. “It’s beautiful, a bit more adult, and signals a change.” A change indeed! Who would have ever thought a few years ago that we’d see The Bear inside an app from Disney?
The new logo and addition of Hulu are launching today for Disney Bundle subscribers, so get ready to delete that outdated Hulu app and embrace another triumph of corporate synergy!
