Disney has officially completed its acquisition of the remaining stake in Hulu from Comcast, ending a years-long valuation dispute.
Initially, Comcast argued Hulu was worth billions more, potentially costing Disney an extra $5 billion beyond the $8.6 billion it had already paid. However, a third-party appraisal landed much closer to Disney’s estimate, finalizing the deal with just an additional $438.7 million, according to reports from THR and Axios.
The resolution clears the path for Disney to more tightly integrate Hulu with Disney+, a move CEO Bob Iger highlighted as strategic ahead of the launch of ESPN’s standalone streaming service, slated for this fall. The agreement concludes a negotiation that’s been ongoing since 2019, cementing Disney’s full control over one of the most popular streaming platforms in the U.S.
