Disney Announces Hulu Phaseout Window

'Disney is now pushing forward with its process to shut down Hulu's standalone app and streaming service. However, they're not giving up the Hulu brand, which is getting an update. Starting on Oct. 8, Hulu will become the general entertainment brand on Disney+ for its non-U.S. markets, replacing the Star brand.

At the same time, Disney is moving forward with the phaseout and promises that Hulu will be a "fully integrated unified app experience" in 2026.'
 
https://www.cbr.com/disney-plus-hulu-replace-star-phaseout-window/

It sounds like Hulu will simply become part of Disney+, similar to the other content hubs already on the platform.   Having all these brands incorporated into Disney+ makes the service look more like a better value.  

Unfortunately, Disney+ is often lacking in new content.  Instead, they rely on their massive library of titles.  Incorporating Hulu helps a little, but I think that Nextflix and HBO Max are better at offering new content.

I suspect Disney's primary motivation is cost savings. Maintaining Hulu as a separate company is likely more expensive. Once Hulu is integrated into Disney+, Disney will no longer need to promote it separately. Additionally, they may not feel as compelled to invest in Hulu as a standalone brand to keep it competitive with other streaming services.

P.S.  Streaming services have been struggling lately, so are we seeing a trend where streaming services merge?  That might be better for the consumer.