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Hulu could be very different in a year. AT & T today sold its approximately 10% stake in Hulu to the $ 1.43 billion streaming service. It is therefore all the more likely that Hulu will become a Disney-centric service in the future.
Just last year, Hulu was still split equally between Disney, Fox and Comcast, each of which owned 30% of the company's shares, alongside about 10% of AT & T's capital. acquired a majority stake in Hulu when Fox was purchased, and the sale of AT & T means that Disney now owns 66% of the service, while Comcast owns the remaining 33%.
But it's not just about money and the percentage of ownership; Disney gaining even more control over Hulu could also mean a radical change in what Hulu is. At present, the site offers streaming content from a very large number of providers, including NBC and Universal, owned by Comcast, and AT & T-owned networks, such as TBS and TNT.
Now that AT & T no longer has a place in the game, it's easy to imagine a future where the company is taking full advantage of its programming in favor of its own streaming efforts. (After all, AT & T now has its own video empire after buying Time Warner.) And if Comcast did the same, it could leave Hulu as an exclusive Disney service complimenting the upcoming Disney +. Disney has even alluded to it, the company highlighting in recent days the different roles it intends to play for Hulu and Disney +, Hulu offering more content and even the potential of a common bundle. (Maybe AT & T saw the writing on the wall when Disney badumed control.)
It's a good thing for Disney, but it's a decidedly less attractive future for consumers, who might see one of the latest streaming services to offer content across multiple networks, split into monthly fees to watch all your shows.
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