The Disney Hulu buyout is complete, as Disney pays less than $500 million to finalize NBCUniversal’s exit from the streaming service.

Disney just won a legal battle with NBCUniversal. Well, they won, so they only have to pay just under $500 million more to NBCUniversal. Disney has finally closed its deal with Comcast to buy out NBCUniversal‘s one-third stake in Hulu. The good news for Disney revolves around paying far less than earlier estimates indicated the company would need to pay.

In December 2023, Disney paid $8.61 billion to Comcast, which represented one-third of the $27.5 billion guaranteed floor value for Hulu that was set when the companies entered into their agreement in 2019. The two competitors, even in the theme park business, last year entered into an arbitration to determine the final price tag. The final result equated to Disney having to pay an additional $438.7 million NBCUniversal to purchase their portion of Hulu. The acquisition process will close at least by July 24, 2025.

Disney Hulu Buyout

According to reports, the group hired by Comcast to assess the value of NBCUniversal’s stake in Hulu would have resulted in an additional $5 billion payable by Disney. In a major understatement, Bob Iger, Disney CEO, voiced pleasure over the final ruling.

“We are pleased this is finally resolved. We have had a productive partnership with NBCUniversal, and we wish them the best of luck,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. “Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu’s general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers.”

In contrast, the company getting millions sounded appreciative. In a statement, a Comcast spokesperson said, “Hulu was a great start for us in streaming that generated nearly $10 billion in proceeds for Comcast and created an important audience for NBCUniversal’s world-class content. We wish Disney well with Hulu and appreciate the cooperative way our teams managed the partnership.”

For more theme park-related news, visit MSM News.

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