In 2026, Hulu will no longer be its own streaming platform, officially ending phase one of the streaming wars. Netflix has long led the streaming world, but Hulu almost immediately put up a major fight. These two platforms were the original competitors in the streaming wars, and over the years, their respective strategies have helped shape the modern entertainment landscape.
Now, the end of Hulu marks the beginning of a new era. Netflix faced some difficulties in recent years, but it is generally accepted that the company emerged victorious from the original streaming wars. In the second phase of this battle for success, Netflix will be challenged by Disney+ (which will now exclusively stream Hulu content on its platform), Apple TV+, Paramount+ and a few others.
Only the next few years will determine whether Netflix can maintain its top spot. Its competitors can learn from Hulu’s mistakes and enter the ring even stronger for it. Of course, Netflix itself has had some setbacks over the years, which have come with their own valuable lessons. The best bet for all these streaming services? Look back at the OG streaming wars and reflect.
Hulu and Netflix were great rivals during the early days of streaming
Netflix was the first big arrival in the streaming game, introducing its platform in 2007 after years of operating as a DVD rental service. The website had a good offering of movies and TV shows, but they were all older. At the time, purchasing DVDs, physical rentals, network television, and movie theaters were still the only ways to consume new content. That’s where Hulu came in.
Hulu launched in 2008 and initially presented a very different product to Netflix. While the platform offered a handful of movies, its primary focus was on streaming next-day network television episodes. This was a game-changer. For the first time, viewers no longer had to rely on cable television to stay up to date with their favorite shows.
Although the launch of Hulu made it a competitor to Netflix, the streaming wars didn’t begin in earnest until both platforms began producing original content. Netflix debuted House of Cards in 2013, and Hulu’s first original series, Difficult People, began airing in 2015. By 2019, these platforms were really fighting and the COVID-19 pandemic only turned up the heat.
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The OG streaming war: Netflix vs. Hulu
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Year
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Netflix
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Netflix subscribers (end of the year)
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Hulu
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Hulu subscribers (end of the year)
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After 2019, the number of subscribers for both Netflix and Hulu increased significantly. This encouraged Netflix to increase its budget for some of its most popular projects, but the return on this investment did not meet the company’s expectations. Meanwhile, although Hulu was nowhere near Netflix’s subscriber count, its significantly less expensive shows and movies were performing exceptionally well.
In 2022, Netflix lost a significant portion of its subscribers at the end of its second quarter. The company’s stock price fell about 50%, while Hulu’s numbers continued an upward trend. Netflix had risen much higher, but that would only mean a longer decline. This could have been Hulu’s chance to win the streaming war, but Netflix recovered with a change in strategy, while Hulu got lost in ownership politics.
Netflix cracked down on account sharing in 2023, resulting in a massive recovery.
Hulu’s planned closure is the end of an era of streaming wars
Hulu will not shut down due to any specific failure. All the old original series will continue and the «Hulu» name isn’t going anywhere. It will no longer be its own platform and will instead be completely merged with Disney+ (rather than the current hybrid situation). Regardless, this is a clear indication that Netflix has surpassed Hulu in the original streaming wars.
Disney has owned a sizable portion of Hulu for years, but recently became the sole owner (after purchasing Comcast). If Hulu had remained a strong competitor to Netflix, then the House of Mouse could have opted to keep Hulu content on its own platform. However, with Netflix so far ahead, this merger is the best way to make Disney+ a stronger competitor in a new era of streaming wars.
Why Hulu and Netflix had very different fates
Netflix has had a huge advantage over any other streaming service since 2007 because it serves a very wide audience. It had its difficulties, especially in 2022, but the platform maintained its grip on viewers of all ages and demographics. It’s precisely for this reason that companies like Disney have started bundling, adding Hulu and ESPN to their homepage: it’s all about variety.
From its inception to its upcoming conclusion, Hulu’s strategy has focused on adult television. It has been very effective for what it is, but it is evident when comparing its subscribers to Netflix that it cannot compete in the same way.
What Hulu’s merger with Disney+ means for the future of the streaming wars
