What Hulu worry?

We’ll just have to wait and see

POPULAR video streaming service Hulu is an interesting digital beast. It competes with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but unlike the other services, it has multiple owners. Netflix and Amazon are their own companies, so they’re seemingly on more stable ground. But having multiple owners means if mergers happen, as they do, things might get a little shaky at Hulu.

Hulu is a joint venture between Disney, Fox, AT&T and Comcast. Disney, Fox and Comcast all own a 30-percent stake, while AT&T has a 10-percent stake. This can be an advantage as that gives Hulu access to a wide variety of content, but if these companies were to start shifting around, that might muddy the waters of Hulu’s future. Enter: the Disney and Fox merger.

Folks have known for quite a while now that Disney wants to buy 21st Century Fox, and Variety reports that deal is expected to close on March 20. This will give Disney a 60-percent stake in Hulu. Further complicating matters is that Disney is widely expected to launch its own streaming service later this year.

It’s called Disney+, and Forbes has reported that every single Disney movie will be available to stream on the service (though we sincerely doubt Song of the South will make an appearance these oh-so-enlightened days). If that weren’t enough to interest customers, you’ll recall that Disney also owns Marvel and Lucasfilm. That’s a heaping load of movies and television shows.

So it leaves us curious: Why would Disney keep around two streaming services, especially when it owns one outright and 60 percent of another? Now Disney very well could keep things steady as they are. It’s a big company. It can do what it wants.

Still, Disney ended its partnership with Netflix and will eventually yank its content from that service to put into its own.

We can’t imagine Disney will keep much, if any, of its content on Hulu when Disney+ comes into existence.

This leaves a few options. Disney could attempt to buy out Comcast’s and AT&T’s shares of the service before shutting it down. It could also seek to sell its own stake in the company and exit entirely. Or again, it could keep things exactly as they are now.

No matter which option Disney chooses, Hulu seems likely to lose content, assuming it stays open for business. And losing content might discourage some customers from sticking with the service.

Hulu might take a punch or two to the gut later this year. How much of a punch, fans are just going to have to wait to see.

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