NBC currently provides about 17% of Hulu's content, and has no plans to remove itHULU
Disney and Comcast are "holding talks about working out a deal" for Comcast's 30% stake in Hulu, according to sources cited by Alex Sherman of CNBC.com. Comcast is now "weighing the pros and cons of doing a deal now rather than later," and it is "still unclear if a deal will transpire." Disney and Comcast are the "last remaining owners of a company that was originally founded as a joint venture between several media giants." Hulu last week "bought back a 9.5% stake in itself" from AT&T, which will be "split between Disney and Comcast, unless Disney consolidates the entire company." Comcast for years was "barred from having a say in Hulu's direction." Now that the "consent decree expired" in '18, Comcast's ownership in Hulu has "switched from passive to active." That gives Comcast Chair & CEO Brian Roberts and NBCU President & CEO Steve Burke "some say in the company's future." NBC currently "provides about 17% of Hulu's content," and has "no plans to remove" it (CNBC.com, 4/25). BLOOMBERG NEWS' Christopher Palmeri wrote Hulu is now "poised to become a key part of Disney's emerging direct-to-consumer business," which includes ESPN+ and the new Disney+ streaming service set to launch later this year (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/25).
