SOPA Images/Getty Images
Disney employees are cheering the company’s move to fold Hulu into Disney+ in 2026.
In interviews with Business Insider, employees said they’re hopeful the tie-up will speed tech advancements and improve quality.
An employee familiar with the business side of Disney’s streaming business said a unified app built on a single tech platform could help “with product quality, innovation, and maintenance.”
A software engineer said the move could strengthen Disney’s brand and standing in a crowded marketplace, and the new tech platform may improve its content recommendations.
It could also make the ad business run smoother.
Last week, Disney moved to a unified ad server for Disney+ and Hulu, as Business Insider first reported.
“Everything going through one ad server makes a lot less work for everyone involved when it comes to getting ad campaigns live,” an ads employee previously said.
Disney didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Business Insider previously reported that the company was increasingly emphasizing Disney+ over Hulu.
MoffettNathanson’s Robert Fishman said last month that more deeply integrating Hulu into Disney+ could save the Mouse House roughly $3 billion by eliminating “duplicative technology and administrative costs.”
CEO Bob Iger confirmed on the earnings call Wednesday that Disney now has one ad server and is building a single platform. But Iger didn’t address Fishman’s second point about “administrative costs,” which could mean eliminating duplicate roles.
Three Disney streaming employees said they weren’t worried about imminent layoffs, though.
“They already ran one round of layoffs this year” in the streaming division, a second software engineer said. “They usually don’t double up in a year.”
On the contrary, the first software engineer said, “Every team I work with is over-tasked and looking to add more people.”
The post Disney streaming employees tell us why they’re cheering Hulu moving into Disney+ appeared first on Business Insider.
