When Can You Order the New Fubo-Hulu Streamer?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

 TV Answer Man, when can we start ordering the Fubo-Hulu streaming service and will it have all the channels that the two services have now? And what will be the price? – Gina, Omaha, Nebraska.

Gina, Disney revealed yesterday that it will merge its Hulu Live streaming service with Fubo’s streaming offering as part of an agreement in which Fubo agrees to drop its lawsuit against Venu, the sports streaming venture jointly owned by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Fubo’s current management team, headed by CEO David Gandler, will run the new Hulu-Fubo streamer with Disney owning 70 percent of it and Fubo getting 30 percent. Disney and Fubo said the current Hulu Live service will still be available via the Hulu app and a separate Fubo service will also be available at the Fubo app. The new service with Hulu Live and Fubo combined will be available via Fubo.

So when will you be able to start ordering the new Fubo-Hulu Live plan?

Answer: Probably not for more than year. Federal regulators, including the U.S. Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission, first have to approve the deal and that process can take a year or more.

Consequently, it’s also unlikely we will learn about pricing details or specific channel lineups for several months, and perhaps not until after the feds approve. The TV Answer Man noted yesterday that Hulu Live and Fubo have nearly 300 channels combined, including 26 regional sports networks, which could make it a powerful player in the pay TV market. But it’s unclear if the Fubo-Hulu Live combo will include a plan with all those channels. Gandler has already suggested it will provide flexible plans which could mean smaller packages based on genres such as sports and local channels, assuming it can get permission from the programmers.

One thing I think we will see before the federal regulatory process is over:

Fubo is likely to get greater flexibility from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery on which channels it carries and in which packages. The streamer now does not have the Turner networks (including TBS, truTV and TNT) owned by Warner Bros. Discovery but the Venu resolution could open the door for a new pact, perhaps before the March Madness college basketball tournament. (Turner has the rights to March Madness games.)

Gina, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.