The timeline to decide Hulu's ownership fate has been moved up, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Wednesday.
Comcast and Disney are set to begin those discussions on September 30, months earlier than the initial January 2024 deadline.
Under the original 2019 agreement, Comcast can force Disney to buy (or Disney can require Comcast to sell) that remaining 33% stake in January 2024, at a guaranteed minimum total equity value of $27.5 billion.
In May, Roberts said at an investor conference that Comcast would likely sell its 33% stake in Hulu to Disney at the beginning of next year.
For Disney, the move to add Hulu content to Disney+ came as it focuses on its ad-supported Disney+ option to attract more subscribers and advertising revenue.
Persons:
Brian Roberts, Roberts, Goldman Sachs, we've, Disney didn't, Bob Iger, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Iger
Organizations:
Comcast, Disney, Technology, Hulu, Netflix, ESPN, CNBC
Locations:
Hulu, U.S