History of Hulu in Timeline
Hulu is an American subscription streaming service owned by Disney Streaming. Launched in 2007, it began as a joint venture and later received investments from major media companies. With over 64 million paid memberships, Hulu is a leading video on demand service. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, and it maintains offices in other major US cities.
4 hours ago : Hulu to premiere Pat Summitt documentary during Women's March Madness with ESPN.
Hulu is set to debut a documentary about Pat Summitt, the legendary Lady Vols basketball coach, during Women's March Madness. The film will also be available on ESPN platforms and is produced by Robin Roberts.
March 2007: Hulu Announced with Distribution Partners
In March 2007, Hulu was announced with AOL, NBC Universal, MSN, Myspace, and Yahoo! as initial distribution partners.
July 2007: Providence Equity Invests in Hulu
In July 2007, Providence Equity invested US$100 million in Hulu for a 10% stake before the company was officially known as "Hulu."
August 2007: Hulu Name Chosen and Website Goes Live
In late August 2007, the name Hulu was chosen, and the website went live with an announcement inviting users to sign up for the upcoming beta test.
October 2007: Hulu Begins Private Beta Testing
In October 2007, Hulu initiated private beta testing, allowing users to invite friends.
March 12, 2008: Hulu Launches for Public Access
On March 12, 2008, Hulu launched for public access in the United States.
April 2009: Disney Joins Hulu Consortium
In April 2009, The Walt Disney Company joined the Hulu consortium as a stakeholder and planned to offer content from ABC, ESPN, and Disney Channel.
2009: Hulu Revenue
Hulu's revenue for all of 2009 was less than $100 million.
January 2010: Hulu's Video Streams Reach 903 Million
In January 2010, ComScore reported that Hulu's monthly video streams reached 903 million, surpassing three times the figure from the previous year.
June 2010: ComScore Updated Methodology
Between May and June 2010, ComScore updated its scoring methodology and its estimates for Hulu. Hulu's viewers would go from 43.5 million to 24 million in one month.
June 29, 2010: Hulu Subscription Service Launch
On June 29, 2010, Hulu's subscription service was launched in a software release life cycle.
August 16, 2010: Hulu Plans Initial Public Offering (IPO)
On August 16, 2010, a report revealed Hulu was planning an initial public offering (IPO), potentially valuing the company at over $2 billion.
November 17, 2010: Official launch of Hulu Plus
On November 17, 2010, Hulu officially launched its subscription service, Hulu Plus, offering an expanded content library with full seasons and more episodes.
2010: Hulu Launches Subscription Service
In 2010, Hulu launched "Hulu Plus", a subscription service that offered full seasons of programs and access to new episodes soon after they aired.
June 2011: Hulu Weighs Selling Itself
In June 2011, Hulu considered selling itself due to an "unsolicited offer," but the company and its owners declined the bids.
2011: Hulu Plus Subscriber Growth
By the end of 2011, Hulu Plus had reached approximately 1.5 million subscribers.
2011: Hulu Generated $420 Million in Revenue
In 2011, Hulu generated $420 million in revenue, falling $80 million short of its target.
2011: Hulu Launches in Japan
In 2011, Hulu launched a Japanese version of its service, marking its initial international expansion.
October 2012: Providence Sells Stake in Hulu
In October 2012, Providence sold its 10% stake in Hulu to the media owners and ceased participation on the board.
October 17, 2013: Mike Hopkins Appointed Hulu CEO
On October 17, 2013, Mike Hopkins, former Fox Networks President, was officially appointed as the CEO of Hulu.
February 27, 2014: Nippon Television Acquires Hulu's Japanese Business
On February 27, 2014, Nippon Television Network Corporation acquired Hulu's Japanese business, retaining the Hulu brand and technology in Japan under a subsidiary.
2014: Hulu Japan Acquired by Nippon Television
In 2014, the Japanese version of Hulu was acquired by Nippon Television.
April 29, 2015: Discontinuation of "Hulu Plus" Branding
On April 29, 2015, it was announced that the "Hulu Plus" branding would be discontinued, and that the service would be henceforth marketed as simply "Hulu" By then, the service had grown to 9 million subscribers.
July 2015: Hulu explores advertising-free option
In July 2015, Hulu explored an advertising-free subscription option for around $12 to $14 a month.
September 2, 2015: Launch of "No Commercials" Plan
On September 2, 2015, Hulu launched a "No Commercials" plan priced at $11.99, which was $4 more than the $7.99 monthly rate for the "Limited Commercials" subscription.
May 2016: Hulu Reaches 12 Million Subscribers
In May 2016, Hulu announced that it had reached 12 million subscribers.
August 3, 2016: Time Warner Acquires Stake in Hulu
On August 3, 2016, Time Warner acquired a 10% stake in Hulu.
August 8, 2016: Discontinuation of free video on-demand and syndication to Yahoo!
On August 8, 2016, Hulu announced that it would discontinue its free video on-demand content, and syndicate it to Yahoo! on a new website known as Yahoo! Screen.
November 1, 2016: Agreement to supply channels to streaming service
On November 1, 2016, co-owners 21st Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company agreed to supply their channels to the Hulu live programming streaming service.
December 2016: Hulu begins streaming content in 4K
In December 2016 Hulu began streaming content in 4K, also limited to its original content.
2016: Critics' Choice Documentary Award
At the 2016 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, Hulu's first-released documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years won the award for Best Music Documentary.
2016: First Emmy and Golden Globe Nominations
In 2016, Hulu received its first Emmy Award nominations for its Original series, 11.22.63 and for Triumph's Election Special 2016. In 2016, Hulu received its first Golden Globe Awards nomination for its original series Casual for TV series, Comedy.
2016: Hulu Focuses on Hulu Plus
In 2016, Hulu shifted its focus exclusively to Hulu Plus by syndicating its free library to Yahoo.
May 3, 2017: Launch of "Hulu with Live TV" in beta
On May 3, 2017, the service, originally marketed as "Hulu with Live TV," launched in beta featuring content from various networks. The service was later renamed "Hulu + Live TV".
October 24, 2017: Randy Freer Named Hulu CEO
On October 24, 2017, Randy Freer, Fox Networks Group COO, was appointed as the CEO of Hulu, succeeding Mike Hopkins.
2017: Hulu + Live TV Launched
In 2017, Hulu launched "Hulu + Live TV", expanding its offerings to include access to broadcast and cable television channels.
2017: Grammy and Movies for Grownups Awards
In 2017, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years received Grammy Awards for Best Music Film at the 2017 Grammy Awards and Best Documentary at the 16th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards.
2017: Planned launch of live programming
In May 2016, Hulu announced that it planned to begin offering an over-the-top "live programming from broadcast and cable brands" some time in 2017.
2017: $5.99 promotional offer
Since late 2017, the $5.99 monthly plan had been offered as a promotional offer where users that signed up (or reactivated accounts that had previously ended their service) during the offer period would keep the price for an entire year before paying the regular rate.
January 2018: Hulu reaches 17 million subscribers
In January 2018, Hulu announced that it had reached 17 million subscribers.
May 2018: Hulu + Live TV Subscriber Count
By May 2018, Hulu + Live TV had reached 800,000 subscribers.
May 2018: Hulu Surpasses 20 Million Subscribers
In May 2018, Hulu announced it has surpassed 20 million subscribers in the United States. The tally, which puts the company about 36 million subscriptions behind Netflix, was disclosed at a media presentation.
May 2018: Introduction of 5.1 Surround Sound
In May 2018, Hulu introduced 5.1 surround sound on select devices for its original content.
November 29, 2018: Addition of Discovery Networks to Hulu + Live TV
On November 29, 2018, Hulu + Live TV added the Discovery Networks to its core offering and add-on packages.
January 23, 2019: $2 Price Drop for Basic Ad-Supported Plan
On January 23, 2019, Hulu announced a $2 price drop for the basic ad-supported plan, reducing it to $5.99.
March 20, 2019: Disney Acquires Majority Stake in Hulu
On March 20, 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, giving it a 60% majority stake in Hulu.
April 15, 2019: AT&T Sells Stake in Hulu Back to Company
On April 15, 2019, AT&T sold its 10% stake in Hulu back to the company for $1.43 billion, leaving Disney with 67% ownership.
May 14, 2019: Comcast Cedes Control of Hulu to Disney
On May 14, 2019, Comcast agreed to cede control of Hulu to Disney, with Disney having the option to purchase Comcast's 33% stake as early as 2024.
July 2019: 4K video reintroduced
In July 2019, 4K video, which was previously rolled back in 2018, was reintroduced to Hulu.
July 31, 2019: Hulu Reorganizes Reporting Structure
On July 31, 2019, Disney reorganized Hulu's reporting structure, placing Hulu's Scripted Originals team under Disney General Entertainment Content.
November 2019: FX and Fox Searchlight Assigned to Supply Hulu with Content
As of November 2019, FX and Fox Searchlight were assigned to supply Hulu with content.
November 2019: Availability of Disney+ Bundle
Since the launch of Disney+ in November 2019, the service has been available in the United States in a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+, priced at $12.99 per-month for the ad-supported tier of Hulu, and $18.99 for the ad-free tier of Hulu.
December 2019: Hulu + Live TV Price Increase
In December 2019, the price for Hulu + Live TV had been increased to $54.99 per month (after having previously been raised to $44.99).
2019: Disney Acquires Majority Stake in Hulu
In 2019, Disney acquired a majority stake in Hulu through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Subsequently, it acquired the remaining stakes held by AT&T in 2019, increasing its ownership.
2019: Yahoo! Screen Discontinuation
In 2019, the Yahoo! Screen service, which previously featured recent episodes of ABC, Fox, and NBC series, was discontinued. The Hulu website is now devoted exclusively to the subscription service.
2019: Hulu Overtakes Sling TV
In the third quarter of 2019, Hulu overtook Sling TV as the top OTT pay television service in the United States, with 2.7 million subscribers.
2019: Plans to display on-screen ads during pause
Starting in 2019, Hulu planned to begin displaying on-screen ads when the viewer pauses the show, although it was unclear whether this would apply to customers on the $11.99/month No Ads plan.
January 2020: Disney Eliminates Role of Hulu CEO
In January 2020, Disney eliminated the role of Hulu CEO, with its top executives reporting directly to DTCI and Walt Disney Television.
January 31, 2020: Randy Freer Resigns as CEO of Hulu
On January 31, 2020, Randy Freer resigned as CEO of Hulu, and the position was eliminated.
November 2020: Hulu + Live TV Price Increase
In November 2020, the rate for Hulu + Live TV increased to $64.99 per month. The rate for the ad-free plan with Live TV included also increased to $70.99.
2020: GLAAD Media Award
In 2020, Hulu original series The Bravest Knight won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming.
2020: NBCUniversal can transition exclusivity deals with Hulu
In 2020, NBCUniversal had the option to begin transitioning its exclusivity deals with Hulu to non-exclusive terms.
January 19, 2021: NewsNation Launch on Hulu + Live TV
On January 19, 2021, Nexstar's NewsNation launched on Hulu + Live TV.
June 2021: Comcast Accuses Disney of Undermining Hulu's Growth
In June 2021, Comcast accused Disney of hindering Hulu's growth and value by not pursuing international expansion and instead expanding the Star brand as an extension of Disney+ in certain markets.
August 2021: Hulu adds HDR
In August 2021, Hulu added HDR for some of its original content.
September 7, 2021: Hulu Announces Price Increases
On September 7, 2021, Hulu announced that the prices of its main video on-demand and ad-free plans would increase by $1 each to $6.99 and $12.99 per month beginning October 8.
October 8, 2021: Hulu price increase
On October 8, 2021, Disney announced that Hulu would be getting a price increase. The ad-supported Hulu plan increased from $5.99 to $6.99 a month, while the ad-free Hulu plan increased from $11.99 to $12.99 a month.
October 2021: Hulu President Kelly Campbell Resigns
In October 2021, Hulu president Kelly Campbell resigned from her position.
November 22, 2021: Disney and WarnerMedia Reach Streaming Deal
On November 22, 2021, Disney and WarnerMedia reached an agreement allowing select 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures films to stream on Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max in 2022.
January 2022: Joe Earley Becomes President of Hulu
In January 2022, Joe Earley assumed the role of president of Hulu.
March 2022: NBCUniversal to Pull Content from Hulu
In March 2022, NBCUniversal decided to remove content from Hulu and shift it to Peacock, starting in September.
September 2022: Disney Considers Merging Hulu into Disney+
In September 2022, Disney indicated it was considering merging Hulu into Disney+ due to the success of a similar model outside the U.S. and expressed interest in buying out Comcast's stake early.
November 14, 2022: Addition of The Weather Channel and Comedy.TV
On November 14, 2022, Hulu announced that it had added The Weather Channel and Comedy.TV at the start of the month and that Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries would be added that day.
2022: NBCUniversal can end content deals with Hulu
In 2022, NBCUniversal had the option to begin transitioning its exclusivity deals with Hulu to non-exclusive terms.
May 18, 2023: Disney+ and Hulu Announce Removal of Original Content
On May 18, 2023, it was announced that Disney+ and Hulu would remove nearly 60 original films and series on May 26 to "cut costs". This decision sparked some backlash.
July 10, 2023: Hulu Launches Animayhem
On July 10, 2023, Hulu launched an adult animation and anime hub known as Animayhem, featuring 20th Television Animation programs. They promoted this with an immersive experience at San Diego Comic-Con titled Hulu Animayhem: Into the Second Dimension.
September 6, 2023: Comcast to Assess Hulu's Equity Fair Value
On September 6, 2023, Comcast announced that Hulu's equity fair value would be assessed as of September 30.
November 2023: Disney Began Acquisition of Comcast's Stake
In November 2023, Disney started the process of acquiring Comcast's stake in Hulu.
December 6, 2023: Disney+ Rolls Out Hulu Integration
On December 6, 2023, Disney began integrating Hulu as a content hub on the Disney+ platform for subscribers to both services.
2023: Disney Fully Acquires Hulu
In 2023, Disney acquired the remaining stakes in Hulu held by Comcast, giving it full ownership of the streaming service.
August 2024: Disney and Comcast Dispute over Hulu Valuation
As of August 2024, Disney and Comcast were still in a dispute over Hulu's valuation. An arbitration decision was expected in 2025.
August 2024: FuboTV wins lawsuit against ESPN
In August 2024, FuboTV won a lawsuit against ESPN Inc. (majority-owned by Disney), Fox Corporation, and Warner Bros. Discovery due to their announcement of a sports streaming joint venture, and was granted a preliminary injection to stop its launch. The consortium plans to make a one-time payment of $220 million.
2024: Disney could purchase remaining stake in Hulu
As early as 2024, Disney could purchase the remaining 33% stake in Hulu.
2024: Previously Agreed 2024 Timeline
In September 2022, Disney indicated it was considering merging Hulu into Disney+ because the model had been successful outside the United States without any content friction. To accelerate the plan, he said that Disney would love to buy out Comcast's 33.3% stake in Hulu earlier than their previously agreed 2024 timeline.
2024: NBCUniversal can end content deals with Hulu
NBCUniversal has the option to end other content deals with Hulu beginning in 2022.
January 6, 2025: FuboTV to sell majority stake in vMVPD business
On January 6, 2025, FuboTV agreed to sell a 70% majority stake in its vMVPD business to Disney and merge with Hulu's live TV service.
January 2025: Disney Announces Intent to Acquire FuboTV Stake
In January 2025, Disney announced its intention to acquire a 70% majority stake in the competing streaming television service FuboTV.
May 22, 2025: Hulu reaches agreement with TelevisaUnivision
On May 22, 2025, Hulu reached a carriage agreement with TelevisaUnivision, adding Univision, UniMás, TUDN, and Galavisión to Hulu + Live TV beginning June 3, 2025.
June 3, 2025: Carriage agreement with TelevisaUnivision begins
Hulu + Live TV adds Univision, UniMás, TUDN, and Galavisión beginning June 3, 2025, as part of a carriage agreement with TelevisaUnivision. The agreement was made ahead of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
June 9, 2025: Disney and Comcast Resolve Hulu Dispute
On June 9, 2025, Disney and Comcast resolved their dispute regarding the acquisition of Comcast's remaining stake in Hulu. Disney paid Comcast an extra $438.7 million, with the deal closing on or before July 24, 2025.
July 24, 2025: Closing Date
On June 9, 2025, Disney and Comcast resolved their dispute regarding the acquisition of Comcast's remaining stake in Hulu. Disney paid Comcast an extra $438.7 million, with the deal closing on or before July 24, 2025.
October 29, 2025: Disney Completes Acquisition of FuboTV Stake
On October 29, 2025, Disney completed its acquisition of a 70% majority stake in the competing streaming television service FuboTV.
2025: Plans to discontinue Hulu apps announced
In 2025, Disney announced plans to discontinue Hulu's existing apps in favor of a shared platform with Disney+, though the two will remain separate subscription services.
2025: Hulu to Replace Star on Disney+ Internationally
In 2025, Disney announced that Hulu would replace its Star brand for general entertainment content on Disney+ outside of the United States.
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