Disney has had the single-biggest news day of any media company in perhaps the last three years. On Wednesday, Disney made a slew of key announcements regarding its future, and most of them had to do with the company’s various streaming products — both current and forthcoming.

With all the Disney news swirling around today, our experts thought it would be helpful to run through some questions about the new ESPN streamer, the integration of Disney+ and Hulu, and the new sports content Disney has acquired. If you’ve got questions, we want to help!

Running through major questions on Disney’s big day

Disney+ and Hulu integration

When is the Hulu app going away?

One of the big announcements made by Disney on Wednesday was the news that Hulu was being folded into the Disney+ app in its entirety. But when will the standalone Hulu app be officially sunset? We know it will officially happen, and that the shutdown will occur sometime in 2026, but we don’t know when just yet.

We did get a hint, however; amidst its flurry of announcements on Wednesday, Disney revealed that the NFL Draft will stream on all of Disney’s services in 2026, including Hulu. So, it would stand to reason that viewers can expect the standalone Hulu app to be available until at least April.

Will Hulu + Live TV be folded into Disney+ as well?

That would seem to make sense, although it obviously won’t be included for the standard Disney+ price. Since Hulu is likely to exist as a tile in Disney+ — as it does in the current, more-limited Hulu on Disney+ experience — those that opt to pay for the live TV streaming component of Hulu will likely access it alongside all of the entertainment tile’s on-demand content.

Will all Hulu content be available on Disney+?

When Disney+ first launched Hulu titles in late 2023, the company informed viewers that the vast majority — but not all — of its catalog would be found on Disney+. Certain licensing agreements precluded Disney from putting 100% of the Hulu library on Disney+. However, with the elimination of Hulu as a standalone app, by definition, Disney+ will have all of the Hulu content available.

Whether there are any significant reductions in the content library remains to be seen. I would venture a guess and say there won’t be any substantive changes, especially since Disney is giving itself a substantial amount of time to renegotiate any and all contracts that might otherwise get in the way of current Hulu titles appearing on Disney+.

How much will Disney+ cost with Hulu integrated?

This is a question whose answer falls into the realm of pure speculation. The Disney Bundle with Disney+ and Hulu’s ad-supported plans costs $11 monthly, but it seems likely that Disney will see the combination of the two streamers as a reason to raise the price of Disney+. Will it reach as high as $16 per month — the current price of Disney+’s ad-free standalone subscription — for the service’s ad plan? Only time will tell.

The Duo Premium bundle option is $20 per month, which includes both Disney+ and Hulu ad-free, and will almost certainly go up as well. All streaming services, Disney’s included, have been actively trying to get subscribers to opt for the lower-cost ad-supported tiers in efforts to drive up advertising revenue. So, if the ad-supported plans go up to $15 or $16 per month, it would not be unfathomable to see the premium price rise to $25 or more.

ESPN’s streamer and NFL Media

Will cable subscribers get access to ESPN’s new standalone streamer?

Yes, in a conference call with analysts and investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger and other executives regularly reiterated that they are not differentiating between ESPN viewers via the traditional pay-TV model or the new streaming model. Therefore, with all of the added features and exclusive content available on the app, everyone who has access to ESPN channels via a cable, satellite, or live TV streaming subscription will be able to log into the ESPN app using their authentication credentials at no extra cost.

Is NFL RedZone to be available on the new ESPN streamer?

ESPN’s new streaming service is officially set to launch on Aug. 21, and it will have a huge amount of NFL content to its name. As announced on Wednesday, ESPN will acquire a selection of NFL Media properties, including NFL Network and linear distribution rights to NFL RedZone.

It appears that under the terms of the deal, ESPN’s new streamer will not be getting digital rights to RedZone. The popular Sunday whiparound channel will not stream on the new service, but it will continue to be available on NFL+’s Premium tier. ESPN has also announced it will offer bundles of its new streamer with NFL+ Premium (the tier that includes Redzone), so fans can still watch NFL RedZone, but there were no details on a price for that bundle announced on Wednesday.

Will NFL Network retain international game broadcasts?

NFL Network will still offer seven games per year, both on linear TV and through the new ESPN streaming service, which will distribute the channel digitally. Three of these games are being licensed by the league to NFL Network as part of one of the deals announced on Wednesday, while the other four will be shifted out of doubleheader windows already existing as part of ESPN and ABC’s “Monday Night Football” schedule.

This year, NFL Network will present seven international games at different points throughout the season. In the future, shuffling of game inventory and scheduling could affect whether international games are played on ESPN channels, NFL Network, or elsewhere; As mentioned, NFL Network is bringing three games to the ESPN streaming service when the channel launches there, but regulatory approval is needed before ESPN takes full control of NFL Network and integrates it.

Will ESPN offer more alternate NFL broadcasts?

ESPN now has the right to create alternate telecasts for the NFL Draft. The company will be offering the draft on Disney+, Hulu, and the new ESPN streamer starting in 2026, and ESPN will likely create streamer-specific altcasts for each presentation of the draft on those platforms.

ESPN has long been in the business of airing alternate broadcasts of NFL games led by Eli and Peyton Manning. With the new partnership between the league and the worldwide leader in sports (which saw the NFL take a 10% ownership in ESPN), there very well could be additional opportunities to see the Mannings, or other stars, lead alternate broadcasts that will be streaming exclusives.

Will NFL games be available on-demand on ESPN’s new streamer?

Some will be, yes. ESPN’s new service will be able to offer an on-demand replay of “Monday Night Football” games exclusively to its customers.

Will Disney+ get more NFL content?

Yes, Disney+ will be able to show more NFL content. When the ESPN tile launched on Disney+ in late 2024, the streamer gained a selection of content it was able to present to all customers, regardless of whether or not they also subscribed to ESPN+. Thanks to the new NFL deal, Disney+ customers will be able to watch select NFL simulcasts, as well as some highlights on the special “SportsCenter+” show Disney+ offers.

Will fantasy and betting features be integrated into NFL broadcasts?

ESPN is taking over the NFL’s fantasy football product, and the launch of its new streamer will include deeper customization options and enhanced interactive features that allow fans to watch personalized fantasy football team performance, bet tracking data, and integrated game stats on connected TVs or mobile devices.

ESPN secures WWE PLE rights

Will you need the new ESPN streamer to watch WWE PLEs?

In a fairly shocking announcement on Wednesday, Disney revealed that it was acquiring the rights to stream WWE’s at least once per month premium live events (PLEs) — including the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and more — starting in 2026. That means you will, in fact, need the new ESPN streamer to watch, unless you have access to it through your pay-TV distributor.

However, that does not mean that you have to pay for the new service if you already get ESPN through a cable or satellite subscription.

Will WWE PLEs switch back to a PPV format?

Premium live events from WWE were distributed under the pay-per-view format in the past, but when Peacock began streaming them to all subscribers at no extra cost, that model changed in the United States. While anything is possible in the future, ESPN will be airing all of the PLEs on the app at no additional cost starting in 2026, and for the foreseeable future.

Are WWE PLEs to air on ESPN linear channels, too?

Yes, but not all of them. Many WWE PLEs will only be found on the new ESPN streaming service, and there have been no official details shared on how ESPN and WWE will decide which live events to distribute on linear channels.