Disney Plus App Gets Major Redesign and Adds Hulu Globally After Subscriber Drop Fresh off its Jimmy Kimmel suspension controversy, Disney is giving its streaming app a significant makeover. The Disney Plus app will soon feature a new navigation bar and a complete user experience overhaul. This update also formally brings the Hulu brand into the fold for users outside the United States. This move comes after the company reportedly lost a substantial number of subscribers during the recent Kimmel saga, making a renewed focus on its platform a priority. The Disney Plus homepage now features a new navigation bar positioned at the top of the screen. The default landing tab is now called For You. This section is designed to provide personalized recommendations based on individual viewing history. Disney has also updated its content algorithm with the goal of delivering better and more relevant suggestions to users. The new navigation bar also includes dedicated tabs for Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN content, creating a more integrated hub for all of Disney’s streaming properties. The existing vertical navigation bar on the left side of the screen is also receiving an update. It will now include a live content hub. This new section is where users can find live news broadcasts, sports events, and other live programming, including twenty-four seven streams. As Disney prepares to fully integrate Hulu into Disney Plus, it is making a major branding change for its international user base. On October 8, Hulu will replace the Star brand as the app’s global entertainment destination. The Star section is where international subscribers currently find television shows from networks like ABC and FX, which often include more mature content than the typical Disney fare. This change means that for users outside the US, the Star tab will become the Hulu tab next Wednesday. American users will not see any change, as Hulu is already a distinct service there. The Disney Plus mobile app is getting new features as well. The company is launching iOS widgets, which are intended to provide a one-click entry point directly into the app’s content. Disney has also stated that its mobile app will eventually host mobile-first and mobile-exclusive experiences as part of a strategy to expand its reach. However, these more advanced mobile features are slated to arrive sometime in the year ahead. All of these updates follow the Jimmy Kimmel suspension that dominated headlines in late September. Disney-owned ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live indefinitely on September 17, following pressure from officials in the Trump administration. This included a pointed statement from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who told the company, We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Disney, which recently concluded the anti-fascist Star Wars series Andor, ultimately chose the easy way. The company reversed its decision and reinstated Kimmel on September 22. Its official statement attributed the return to thoughtful conversations with the host. However, reports indicate that the company lost approximately 1.7 million Disney Plus subscribers in the brief period the show was off the air, a drop widely attributed to widespread calls for a boycott.
