Disney+ is only days away from launching, but CEO Bob Iger wants you to remember they already have one streaming service lounging inside the Mouse House: Hulu. With more than 28M subscribers, Hulu has a pretty good base audience, but what it lacks is more exclusive programming. That's about to change now as Disney will begin moving FX shows exclusively to Hulu, including some of the most anticipated series for next year.
Iger revealed a plan to launch FX on Hulu beginning in March 2020, which will include past, current, and future FX programming. That includes some highly-anticipated shows that were going to be on the FX network, such as Alex Garland's Devs, Mrs. America with Cate Blanchett, Hannah Fidell’s A Teacher, and The Old Man with Jeff Bridges.
It's easy to sleep on FX because they are a spinoff of the original Fox network, but it really has become a home for prestigious, acclaimed series both in comedy and drama which shows such as Pose, Fargo, The Americans, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. For shows like that which are still putting out current episodes, they'll continue to be on FX first, then hit Hulu the next day.
This move gives Hulu the clout to measure up a little better with HBO Max, Apple TV+, Peacock, and others bringing the big guns to the streaming wars. Frankly, the move has been expected ever since Disney acquired Fox. They just didn't sit around waiting to make it happen.
Hulu CEO Randy Freer said in a statement...
“We’re excited to become the official streaming home to the award-winning current and legacy series that FX has produced over nearly two decades, as well as brand-new original series that will be exclusive to Hulu subscribers — all available through ‘FX on Hulu. FX has solidified its position as a premium brand that consumers are passionate about, and we can’t wait to bring its valuable content offering to our customers, all in one place.”
