Disney has made significant announcements during its latest quarterly earnings call. The major highlight was the future of Hulu, with Disney revealing plans to fully integrate the Hulu app into Disney Plus by 2026. Despite this integration, Hulu will continue to operate as a standalone service in international markets, replacing Disney's Star brand.
Additionally, Disney has entered into several high-profile deals that are set to impact the streaming and sports entertainment landscapes. The company is launching a standalone ESPN streaming service, priced at $30 a month, which will include all ESPN networks and programming. As part of this move, Disney has acquired media assets from the NFL, allowing ESPN to own and operate the NFL Network, and has secured the rights to the NFL Red Zone brand.
Disney also struck a significant deal with the WWE, valued at approximately $1.5 billion. This agreement makes ESPN platforms the exclusive U.S. home for WWE's premium live events, such as WrestleMania and the Royal Rumble, starting next year. Internationally, these events will continue to be available on Netflix.
Moreover, the company reported that its streaming division became profitable in Q3 2025, contrasting with a loss in the same quarter last year. However, Disney's theatrical division faced challenges, posting a $21 million loss despite the success of "Lilo and Stitch". The underperformance of "Elio" and "Thunderbolts" was cited as a primary factor.
Lastly, Disney announced it will stop disclosing subscriber numbers for its streaming services, aligning with industry trends started by Netflix, to focus more on revenue metrics.