Disney no longer lets new and returning customers sign up for and buy subscriptions to Hulu or Disney+ through Apple's App Store, avoiding Apple's cut
Disney is no longer allowing its customers to sign up for and purchase subscriptions to Hulu or Disney+ through Apple's App Store …
Context & Ripple Effects
Disney has been consolidating the way its streaming services are managed: it planned to bring Hulu programming into Disney+ while retaining standalone options. Removing App Store purchase paths gives Disney more direct control over the customer relationship alongside that broader Hulu–Disney+ integration strategy.
The move follows a familiar streaming precedent. Netflix had already ended iOS in-app subscription purchases, showing that major video services can choose direct billing over platform-mediated enrollment.
First-order effects
- New and returning Hulu and Disney+ customers can no longer complete subscription purchases through Apple’s App Store; Disney avoids Apple’s commission on those transactions.
- Apple loses a billing and acquisition channel for two major Disney streaming services, while Disney gains a more direct subscription-sales path.
Second-order effects
- Disney can align sign-up, pricing, and bundle offers outside Apple’s purchase flow, reinforcing its ability to manage Hulu and Disney+ together rather than as separately platform-billed products.
- The Netflix precedent becomes more relevant for other subscription services weighing App Store distribution convenience against the cost and control of direct billing.
Third-order effects
- If more large subscription publishers follow this path, mobile app stores may remain essential for distribution but become less central to recurring-payment relationships.
- The pattern sharpens the long-running tension between platform reach and publisher control: services with strong brands can increasingly treat direct billing as a strategic lever, though smaller services may still value app-store conversion.
The trend: Large subscription services are shifting customer acquisition and recurring billing away from app-store intermediaries to retain more revenue and control over bundles.