Disney, owner of Hulu, ESPN, and Disney+, is spinning out part of Hulu to create another confusing entity in the streaming space.
Disney is merging "Hulu+ LiveTV" with Fubo, another live tv and sports streamer. Disney will own the lion's share of the company and will exist to sequester live broadcasts and linearly programmed television into one place. Well, linear programmed TV that isn't on Disney+ or Hulu itself; also, there will be live sports on ESPN.
The deal doesn't include the streamer Hulu, known for creating original content like "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Handmaid's Tale," which competes with platforms like Netflix.
"We are now stewards of an iconic brand with respect to Hulu," said Fubo co-founder and CEO David Gandler during a Monday call with investors. He added that Hulu+ Live TV's place embedded inside the Hulu ecosystem adds value by way of user retention.
CNBC
How it'll all shake out, who knows? Disney has amassed a giant catalog of content, but streaming subscriptions and their lackluster ad sales can't be outearning what the Marvel and Star Wars teams are burning. This feels like an acquisition of Fubo under another name and seems to fracture the market more than consolidate it.
Previously:
• The first clip from Hulu's ANIMANIACS reboot is a delightfully meta riff on JURASSIC PARK
