Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger suggested he would like to keep the Hulu streaming service as part of a broader online TV offering aimed at kids and adults and has held talks with partner Comcast Corp. about buying the rest of it.
Iger, who returned to run the media giant in November, questioned earlier this year whether Disney should keep Hulu and its slate of general entertainment shows. The service, which features edgy dramas such as The Handmaid’s Tale and The Bear, is aimed at more adult audiences than the Disney+ service.
But after studying the business for the past three months, Iger told investors on a conference call Wednesday that he plans to combine Hulu with the Disney+ service on a single app later this year. He sees great value in Hulu from a subscriber acquisition and advertising standpoint.
Read More: Disney’s Iger Says He’s Not Committed to Keeping Hulu
Disney, which owns two-thirds of Hulu, has an agreement to buy the other third from Comcast starting next year in a deal that values the entire business at a minimum of $27.5 billion.
The companies have held “cordial” talks, Iger said.
“I can’t really say where they end up, only to say that there seems to be real value in having general entertainment combined with Disney+,” Iger said. “And if ultimately Hulu is that solution, we’re bullish about that.”
