The Hollywood Reporter states that the disputes over Hulu, which have lasted several years, are finally over, and Disney will pay Comcast $439 million for its 33 percent stake in the streaming service. The entertainment giant, run by Bob Iger (CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company), agreed to buy the 33 percent stake in Hulu back in 2023, and now the deal will finally close. 

According to THR, companies could not agree on a final price when Disney agreed to pay a floor price of $8.61 billion for Comcast’s stake in Hulu, so this led to a prolonged appraisal process. 

Disney stated that this floor price would be enough as the final price, but Comcast argued for a higher price of an additional $5 billion because they believed that the value of Hulu was higher, via THR. 

The process just finished, as of Monday, and the final price ended up closer to Disney’s valuation. Even though Disney took operational control of Hulu as the process was underway, the resolution of this deal will allow Disney to integrate Hulu into its streaming offerings more easily, THR states. 

Iger issued a statement expressing his contentment with the newly-resolved deal; “We have had a productive partnership with NBCUniversal, and we wish them the best of luck. Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu’s general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers,” via THR. 

According to THR, Hulu content began to be integrated into Disney+ in late 2023, growing more throughout the last year, and Disney states that the full acquisition will be finished by July 24, 2025. 

In accordance with Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, they already had a controlling stake in Hulu. Nonetheless, Comcast’s stake was a lingering obstacle for Disney, THR notes. 

A Comcast Spokesperson says via THR that “Hulu was a great start for us in streaming that generated nearly $10 billion in proceeds for Comcast and created an important audience for NBCUniversal’s world-class content.” They express appreciation for the cooperation with Disney; “We wish Disney well with Hulu and appreciate the cooperative way our teams managed the partnership.”