Disney which will launch its own streaming service Disney + on November 12 has sealed a deal to assume full control of Hulu. The deal puts a minimum future value on the streaming service of $27.5 billion while laying the groundwork for the creation of a powerful competitor for Netflix Inc.
The companies said in a press statement that Disney would immediately assume full operational control of Hulu under an agreement that allows either company to trigger a sale of Comcast’s 33% stake to Disney after January 2024.
Disney and Comcast (which owns Hulu) also said they had agreed to fund Hulu’s recent buyout of AT&T’s 9.5% interest in the company. Shares of Disney rose nearly 2% to $133.90 in trading before the bell.
Last month, Hulu said it had bought back wireless carrier AT&T Inc’s stake in the U.S. entertainment streaming service for $1.43 billion, in a deal that valued Hulu at $15 billion.
Hulu, which competes with Netflix and Amazon.com’s Prime Video, has more than 26.8 million paid subscribers.
Comcast has also agreed with Hulu to extend the Hulu license of NBCUniversal content and the Hulu Live carriage agreement for its channels until late 2024 as well as distribute Hulu on its Xfinity X1 platform.
