The wait is finally over. After 18 years of staying stubbornly American, Hulu is crossing the Atlantic – and Disney has now confirmed the exact date.
Hulu will replace Star on Disney+ from October 8, bringing one of America’s most recognisable streaming brands to the UK (and other countries) for the first time.
The transition marks the end of Star’s four-and-a-half-year run as Disney+’s home for mature content in international markets, with the streaming giant betting that a globally recognised brand will resonate better with subscribers than the somewhat generic “Star” name ever did.
But if you’re worried about losing access to the shows you like in the switchover, Disney has made it clear: everything you’re currently watching stays exactly where it is.
Well, almost exactly – it’ll just live under a different tile on your homepage.
What’s Actually Changing on October 8th?
When we first reported on this rebrand back in August, Disney was light on specific details. Now we know exactly what’s happening: When you open Disney+ after October 8th, you’ll notice the Star tile has vanished from your homepage.
In its place will sit Hulu, joining Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic as the sixth brand tile on the platform.
That’s it for the visual changes. Behind the scenes, though, this represents something bigger – Disney’s push to create a unified global streaming identity rather than maintaining different brand names for essentially identical content across different markets.
All your current Star content migrates seamlessly to the Hulu section. Shows like Only Murders in the Building, Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, and newer hits like High Potential, Rivals, and A Thousand Blows will all be there waiting for you under the Hulu banner.
Disney has confirmed that the robust parental controls introduced when Star launched back in 2021 remain in place.
You can still set access limits on mature content, create PIN-protected profiles, and use Junior Mode for younger viewers – essential features given the mix of family-friendly Disney content and adult-oriented Hulu programming now sitting side by side.
What’s Coming to Hulu on Disney+?
The timing of this rebrand coincides with several major releases that’ll launch directly into the new Hulu section.
All’s Fair – a new legal drama – heads the lineup of fresh content, alongside the third season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and the second season of A Thousand Blows.
All will premiere under the Hulu branding rather than Star.
Disney’s also keen to remind everyone that Hulu houses some seriously acclaimed programming. FX’s The Bear and Shogun have racked up Emmy Awards, whilst Only Murders in the Building continues pulling in massive audiences.
It’s a strong catalogue, and one that’s evolved considerably since Star first arrived with shows like Desperate Housewives and Prison Break – classic comfort viewing, but hardly cutting-edge.
Why Hulu? Why Now?
For most Brits, Hulu is just a name they’ve heard mentioned in American TV shows or spotted in the credits of programmes that eventually made their way to UK screens months later.
The service launched back in 2007 as a joint venture between major US broadcasters including NBC, Fox, and ABC.
Its original pitch was simple: watch current TV shows online the day after they aired on traditional television, filling the gap that Netflix – focused mainly on older content at the time – couldn’t address.
Disney gained control of Hulu in 2019 through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, but didn’t achieve full ownership until June 2025 when it finally bought out Comcast’s remaining stake. That completed buyout paved the way for today’s global expansion.
In the US, Hulu and Disney+ have operated as separate services with considerable overlap, creating a somewhat confusing situation where Disney essentially competed with itself.
From next year, Disney plans to merge both services into a single app in America – similar to how UK viewers have already experienced Disney+ and Star combined since 2021.
Bringing the Hulu brand to international markets now makes sense as Disney works toward that unified global identity.
Rather than explaining to American audiences why their Hulu content is being folded into Disney+, the company can position it as Hulu becoming available worldwide – a much easier narrative to sell.
The Bigger Picture: Sports, Price Rises, and Profitability
This Hulu rebrand doesn’t exist in isolation. Disney+ has undergone massive changes over the past year as the company shifts focus from subscriber growth to actual profitability.
Just this week, Disney confirmed price increases across every UK subscription tier, effective from September 30.
Premium now costs £14.99 monthly (up from £12.99), Standard sits at £9.99 monthly (up from £8.99), and even the ad-supported tier jumped to £5.99 (up from £4.99).
For context, when Disney+ launched in March 2020, it cost £5.99 monthly for everything – 4K streaming, four concurrent devices, no ads (but also no “Star” back then).
If you want that same experience today via the Premium tier, you’re paying £14.99. That’s a 150% increase in just over five years.
The service has expanded considerably to justify those rises. Disney+ secured exclusive UK rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League for five seasons and recently added Saturday evening LaLiga matches featuring Barcelona, Real Madrid, and other Spanish giants.
Live sports represent a major push – people don’t cancel subscriptions when there’s a match they want to watch next weekend.
Between the sports additions, password sharing restrictions (you now pay £5.99 monthly to add an Extra Member outside your household to Premium or Standard plans), and these regular price increases, Disney+ has transformed from a budget-friendly family service into a premium entertainment platform charging premium prices.
The Hulu rebrand fits neatly into this evolution. Disney+ isn’t just about Marvel films and Frozen anymore – it’s positioning itself as a comprehensive streaming destination covering everything from kids’ cartoons to live football to Emmy-winning dramas.
The Bottom Line: Just A Name Change (For Now)
Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening on October 8: Disney+ is swapping one logo for another. That’s essentially it.
Your shows stay the same. Your watchlist carries over. The parental controls remain identical. If you’re hoping the Hulu rebrand means faster access to American shows or next-day episode drops like Hulu offers in the US, Disney hasn’t given any indication that’s coming.
Disney’s bigger plans – merging Hulu and Disney+ into a unified app experience, adding new features, creating more personalised homepages – are still in development and won’t arrive until next year at the earliest.
Whether those changes bring meaningful improvements for UK viewers or just more ways to upsell subscriptions remains to be seen.
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