Fubo and Hulu Live TV are officially partnering.
The landmark deal was talked about earlier this year and has now been completed. The companies announced Wednesday that they have entered into a deal to integrate Fubo’s sports-focused platform with Hulu’s live TV service, following approval by Fubo shareholders last month.
The new entity will be the sixth largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., with approximately 6 million subscribers, a major shake-up in the streaming world. This will put the newly combined company in direct competition with YouTube TV, which ranks first with about 10 million subscribers.
Although the deal would create a larger entity and affect competition in the market by reducing the number of independent streaming players, sources said Disney and Fubo received permission from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division to proceed with the deal.
One of the key highlights is the integration of Fubo’s sports offerings with Hulu’s comprehensive entertainment library. The platform offers an impressive lineup of over 55,000 live sporting events annually, making it a huge draw for sports fans. Additionally, Fubo subscribers will have access to a substantial collection of popular shows and movies that were previously unavailable to them.
Another benefit of the merger is that it provides customers with more flexible options. The companies plan to offer several plan options, including smaller “skinny” bundles and more “robust” products, at prices that both companies believe are competitive.
However, users can still access both platforms separately. Although Fubo maintains its own app, Hulu Live TV is part of the Hulu platform and included in Disney’s bundle featuring Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN Unlimited.
Disney will hold an approximately 70% interest in the newly combined company, and existing Fubo shareholders will retain approximately 30%. In addition, the combined company will have access to a $145 million term loan that Disney agreed to provide Fubo in 2026 as part of the transaction.
The announcement follows an interesting development regarding Paramount’s interest in acquiring Warner Bros. Paramount CEO David Ellison reportedly wants to discontinue HBO Max as a standalone streaming service and consolidate its content and user base into Paramount+.
