It's no secret that Disney is integrating Hulu into Disney Plus. The media giant already integrated a lot of Hulu content into its flagship service in 2024. Then, in August of this year, Disney announced that it was combining the two streaming services into a single new app in 2026. As part of merging the two services, it was also going to rebrand Star, the tile for non-Disney Plus content on Disney Plus, as Hulu.
Now we know when that rebrand is coming. Today (Oct. 3), Disney announced that it will replace Star with Hulu in international markets on Wednesday, Oct. 8 (h/t Variety). For Australia and New Zealand, this change will take place on Thursday, Oct. 9.
It's essential to note that this is largely a rebranding of Star into Hulu, effectively obsoleting the Star brand. In the U.S., the Hulu app will remain accessible, and Disney still plans to sunset the Hulu app in 2026.
However, some additional changes are coming to the Disney Plus app with this Hulu rebranding that are worth noting.
Malcolm has been part of the Tom's Guide streaming team for years, covering the latest industry news, hit TV shows, award-worthy movies and more.
What's changing about Disney Plus and Hulu?
As I already mentioned, the biggest change coming to the Disney Plus app will be the switch from a Star tile to a Hulu tile in international markets. In the U.S., this change will be meaningless. Outside the U.S., Star content will remain on the app, but it will be rebranded as Hulu content.
However, Disney doesn't just want to change Star to Hulu; it also wants to make Hulu content more prominent and easier to find on the app. So Disney is rolling out several updates to the Disney Plus app starting on Oct. 8.
First up is a revamp of the For You tab on the Disney Plus home page. This will get an updated algorithm to provide improved, more personalized recommendations. There will also be a new Live hub that provides easy access to live sports, news, and events, as well as live streams of Disney linear networks.
Finally, this revamped home page will get an updated hero carousel with videos and poster-style artwork. Disney Plus will also start displaying tags like “Season Finale,” “New Series,” and “New Movie” to make it easier for you to choose what's important to watch. On mobile platforms, Disney is reportedly planning “mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences,” but it's unclear when these will come and what they will entail.
Of course, this news all comes as Disney is raising the prices of Hulu and Disney Plus. Starting Oct. 21, Disney Plus with ads will go up $2 a month, as will most other plans. Be sure to sign up now before prices increase, if you haven't already.
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