Disney+ Star might just swallow up Hulu, ESPN+, and more
This week we've gotten word that the next major release from Disney won't be additional content inside Disney+. While the company's main streaming service will continue to get programming suitable for the whole family, Disney+ Star will presumably get the rest of the content to which Disney currently has the streaming rights. That includes content from ABC, FX, Searchlight Pictures, and 20th Century Studios.
Disney owns the rights to FX shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Fargo. Disney General Entertainment Content (DGE), as it's called, is the brand under which a set of subsidiaries exist. These include ABC Signature, Touchtone Television, 20th Television, ABC News, Disney Branded Television, and 50% of A&E Networks (with Hearst Communications) as well as 73% of National Geographic Partners.
Disney is also the parent corporation over DMED, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, which runs Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Back in August of 2020, Disney announced they'd be launching a streaming service called "Star" in some countries that didn't already have Hulu.
Now it would seem that Disney+ Star will launch as an add-on to OR be included with the standard subscription fee for the Disney+ streaming service. It may just be that Disney Plus Hulu bundle would turn three into one. That seem like a good idea to you?
Disney also runs an Indian broadcasting and media company called Star India – but that's not necessarily directly related to what's coming to the USA. As discovered by the folks at DisneyPlusInfo and WhatsOnDisneyPlus, new Disney+ Star social media accounts have appeared with officially verified checkmarks over the past few weeks.
It's been suggested by these same sources that Disney will unveil their efforts with Disney+ Star at their next investor call/announcement event on December 10, 2020. We'll be covering that right up to the minute – what do you think they'll have in the mix?