Hulu

Hulu is an American subscription streaming service owned by Disney Streaming, part of the Walt Disney Company. Launched on October 29, 2007, it began as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal, with later investments from Providence Equity, Disney, and Time Warner. Originally, Hulu aggregated recent episodes from TV networks like ABC, NBC, and Fox. In 2010, it introduced a subscription tier called Hulu Plus, offering full seasons and next-day access. By 2016, Hulu shifted focus entirely to its subscription model, syndicating its free library to Yahoo. The service added Hulu + Live TV in 2017, bundling streaming with live broadcast and cable channels. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Hulu also has offices in Santa Monica, New York City, and Seattle. As of 2024, it holds 64.1 million paid memberships, making it one of the most subscribed video-on-demand services. In 2019, Disney gained majority control after acquiring 21st Century Fox, later buying out AT&T and Comcast stakes by 2023. Disney then integrated a Hulu hub into Disney+ for bundled subscribers. In 2025, Disney announced plans to eventually merge Hulu's apps into Disney+, though standalone Hulu remains active as of mid-2026. Internationally, Hulu launched in Japan in 2011 (sold to Nippon Television in 2014), but wider global expansion didn't occur until 2025, when Disney replaced its Star brand with Hulu on Disney+ outside the U.S. In January 2025, Disney announced a 70% stake acquisition in FuboTV, completed on October 29, 2025, merging FuboTV with Hulu + Live TV under Fubo CEO David Gandler.

What sets Hulu apart from rivals is its next-day access to current-season episodes from ABC, NBC, Fox, and dozens of cable networks. No other streaming service lets you catch up on The Bachelor or Grey's Anatomy the morning after they air. That library runs deep too, entire runs of Seinfeld, The Office, and Saturday Night Live live here. The originals lineup punches well above its weight: The Handmaid's Tale won the first Emmy for a streaming drama series in 2017, Only Murders in the Building became a cozy mystery phenomenon, and The Bear turned restaurant chaos into must-watch television. Hulu also dabbles in horror (The Dropout, Castle Rock) and comedy (Pen15, Ramy).

Pricing starts at $9.99 a month for the ad-supported tier, $18.99 for ad-free. The Hulu + Live TV bundle, which now merges with FuboTV, starts at $82.99 and includes over 90 live channels plus the full on-demand library. You can also bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+ for a discount. Streams top out at 1080p on most devices, with select titles in 4K UHD and HDR10. Offline downloads are available only on the ad-free plan. The service works on browsers, iOS/Android, smart TVs from Samsung and LG, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, and Xbox.[edit]