Disney has been feeling its swagger lately. As it feuds with Google’s YouTube TV and, for now, stands firm on its threat to pull Disney channels ESPN and ABC from YouTube TV, Disney has been feeling its growing strength from the impending acquisition of Fubo.
That acquisition has now concluded, after progressing gradually since the start of the year. With Fubo, Disney, Hulu, ABC, and ESPN now all under one roof, Disney has created the “sixth largest pay TV company” in the US.
Aside from YouTube TV, the closest another company has come to creating a powerhouse TV streaming service that combines live sports, live TV, and on-demand streaming under one roof. Well, sort of one roof—at least at the beginning.
Disney Plus (opens in a new window)
Available at Disney
Buy Now (opens in a new window)
what’ll change (and what won’t)
For now, Disney is keeping much of the existing app infrastructure in place. Fubo programming will stream on the existing Fubo app, and Disney and Hulu programming will stream on their respective apps.
“Fubo and Hulu + Live TV will continue to be available to consumers as separate and distinct services, each offering consumers multiple plan options from skinny to robust at compelling price points,” Disney and Fubo wrote in a brief press release on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
I can’t see that existing for very long. I’d imagine that sooner, rather than later, the Mouse will want to offer the choice of accessing all their combined content under one roof, a convenience offered by its now arch-competitor, YouTube TV.
Hopping between the Fubo app and Hulu app is a speed bump in the viewing experience. Disney hasn’t combined the Hulu and Disney apps since taking full operational control over Hulu in 2019, but splitting their library among three separate apps?
I can’t see it happening for that long. And there’s a lot of overlap among Hulu + Live TV’s live television programming and Fubo’s live television programming.
Disney’s got big plans brewing, as its fight with YouTube TV shows. For now, you won’t see much of a difference in your Disney, Hulu, or Fubo streaming, but don’t expect that to remain static forever.
The post Disney Finalizes Fubo Deal, Setting Up a Major Streaming Showdown With YouTube TV appeared first on VICE.
