Disney movies are more popular than ever, as evidenced by the studio becoming the first to cross the $7 billion mark in a single year. That means it's especially important that these cinematic stories from the House of Mouse, whether they're animated or live action, be available to stream online for the masses. Earlier this year, Disney and Netflix struck a deal for the latter to become the exclusive subscription video service home for all of the former's blockbusters released in 2016 and later. However, many of the older Disney fare was subsequently taken off Netflix, but you can soon find them at Hulu.
According to Variety, you'll be able to watch Disney classics like Pocahontas, Mulan and The Nightmare Before Christmas (originally released under the Touchstone banner) on Hulu. Altogether, the streaming service has the exclusive licensing rights to 56 Disney movies. Hulu will begin adding movies this week, and some of the other notable entries that will arrive in the coming months from the Disney family include The Princess and the Frog, Con Air and Step Up. The exact cost of acquiring this large catalog wasn't disclosed, but the deal is described in the article as Hulu's biggest to date for movies.
It's worth noting that not all of Disney older animated movies have been taken off Netflix yet. Currently Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove, Fantasia and Lilo & Stitch are among the few still currently available. However, Lilo & Stitch is specifically mentioned as one of the movies that will be added to Hulu soon, so it stands to reason that most, if not all, of the remaining older Disney movies will be taken off Netflix soon. This isn't the first time Hulu has paid top dollar for popular older video programming. In August 2015, they dropped approximately $160 million to be the exclusive video service home for Seinfeld, a show that ended nearly 20 years ago, but still enjoys success in reruns. Their new Disney acquisitions should enjoy similar success, as fans both young and old continue to enjoy many of the Disney movies years or even decades after their initial release.
It sounds like we'll have to wait to learn what all these 56 movies are, but if you have a free night or weekend and want to kick back with a classic Disney movie you don't already have on DVD or Blu-ray, Hulu will be the place to go. As for Disney's newest releases, you'll want to head over to Netflix. Zootopia and The Jungle Book have been available for a while, Captain America: Civil War from the Marvel branch was added on Christmas Day and more will arrive as 2017 progresses.
Let us know what you think about this Disney/Hulu deal in the comments below.
