Disney shuts down Hulu app for Star takeover

Hulu will live on, but its standalone app is being retired in 2026 as Disney moves to a single, unified Disney+  experience. The immediate change arrives this week: in most international markets, Hulu replaces the Star hub inside Disney+ on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, while Australia and New Zealand switch on Thursday, October 9. Disney frames the move as a brand consolidation and a UI refresh rather than a content reset, expecting the same general-entertainment catalogue under the Hulu banner, plus clearer labels and a new “For You” landing page to surface shows like The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, and long-running staples such as Grey’s Anatomy.

The U.S. already hosts a Hulu tile within Disney+. The standalone Hulu app remains available for now, but is slated to sunset next year as part of the unified app rollout. India is a special case, given Disney’s separate Hotstar business and the existing Star network, so branding there can diverge.

What changed on October 8, 2025? Hulu replaces Star globally inside Disney+ 

For viewers outside the U.S., Disney+ now shows a Hulu tile where Star used to be. The change is largely branding and interface: content libraries carry over, while the app gains a refreshed homepage, a new “For You” tab powered by updated recommendations, and clearer program tags such as “Season Finale,” “New Series,” and “New Movie.” Profiles are more prominent, and a “Live” hub gathers live news, sports, events, and 24/7 streams.

These updates are rolling out across living-room apps and, over time, to mobile with iOS widgets and other mobile-first features. Australia and New Zealand receive the Hulu tile on October 9, 2025, local time. Other international markets switched on October 8, 2025. For the United States, these UI improvements complement an existing Hulu presence inside Disney+. As per The Walt Disney Company's post dated October 2, 2025, the company stated,

“The power and value of the Hulu brand will reach worldwide audiences beginning October 8, when it becomes the global General Entertainment brand on Disney+, replacing Star in international markets..”

it also further read,

"With this change, and in preparation for a fully integrated unified app experience next year, users will begin to see further integrations of Hulu across the Disney+ app as part of an ongoing and iterative slate of product updates on the homepage and beyond."

Is the Hulu app really shutting down? The 2026 phase-out timeline

Disney has signalled the end of the standalone Hulu app in 2026 as part of a one-app experience that merges Hulu and Disney+ while preserving both brands and catalogues. Reporting throughout 2025 consistently links the unified app to next year’s rollout. In practice, Hulu programming continues inside Disney+, while the separate app is set to sunset.

Viewers using Hulu + Live TV should expect access via Disney+ as a live tier when the unified app arrives, with market-specific details to follow. As per The Walt Disney Company Q3 FY2025 earnings transcript dated August 6, 2025, CEO Bob Iger stated,

"We are building on Disney’s value proposition in streaming by combining Hulu into Disney+ to create a unified app experience featuring branded and general entertainment, news, and sports, resulting in a one-of-a-kind entertainment destination for subscribers"

Official line from Disney and what it means by region (U.S., U.K./EU, ANZ, India)

Disney’s October 2 corporate post positions Hulu as the “global General Entertainment brand” on Disney Plus and outlines an iterative set of homepage, navigation, and personalization updates over the coming weeks and months.” Regionally, the implications are straightforward:

• U.S.: The Hulu tile already sits inside Disney+. The standalone Hulu app remains available for now, with a planned 2026 retirement as the unified app launches.

• U.K./EU & many international markets: The Star tile switched to Hulu on October 8, with UI updates rolling out alongside the rebrand.

• Australia & New Zealand: The switch lands on October 9 local time.

• India: Distribution runs through Disney+ Hotstar and the separate Star network. The Star to Hulu tile change does not map exactly, and timelines may differ given local branding and rights.

Stay tuned for more updates.