Hulu Gets Sidelined in Disney’s Global Streaming Ambitions
Disney executives are nervous about how much they will owe Comcast if its streaming service for adults grows much bigger.
Toward the end of 2019, Hulu delivered a proposal to Walt Disney Co., its controlling shareholder, outlining a strategy to expand the popular streaming service outside the U.S. After watching rivals Netflix and Amazon set up shop all over the globe, Hulu executives had spent the past couple of years drafting a plan to catch up.
At first, Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger and Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy expressed support and pledged to present the plan at a board meeting in January 2020, according to people familiar with the matter. But, ultimately, that didn’t happen. Instead, Disney announced in August that it will create a new general entertainment service outside the U.S. under the umbrella of Star, the company’s Indian media subsidiary.