top of page
The Communiqué News

Hulu & Disney+ tease a Japanese collaboration

There have been numerous concerns raised regarding the future of the streaming service ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and acquired a 66% share in Hulu. In particular, given that Disney CEO Bob Iger earlier this year said that Hulu would soon be included in Disney+ in the United States as part of a brand-new one-app experience.

Disney is anticipated to complete an acquisition of Comcast's remaining 33% investment in Hulu in order to fully control the streaming service in 2024 as per a 2019 deal between the two businesses. laying the groundwork for a prospective Hulu-Disney+ merger in the US at a later period, much to the recent mergers of HBO Max/Discovery+ and Showtime/Paramount+.

A new Hulu hub was recently launched to Disney+ Hotstar in India, but it was shortly withdrawn, possibly implying that there is a plan to rename Star as Hulu as its general entertainment hub within Disney+. This has caused a lot of confusion regarding the future of Hulu.

The official Japanese Disney+ Twitter account hinted today that some changes are on the way by uploading a graphic announcing that Hulu Japan has started to follow the account and asked, Are You Ready?

This social media tweet is particularly intriguing because Nippon TV, which acquired the Japanese division of the company in 2014, owns Hulu there rather than Disney. Licensed content from NHK, TBS Television, Fuji Television, and TV Tokyo, among others, can be found on Hulu in Japan. Over 2 million people in Japan currently subscribe to Hulu.

What the social media messages are talking about is not really apparent. Has Disney purchased Hulu in Japan with the intention of integrating it into Disney+ in order to increase its Japanese content? Will Disney utilise the Hulu name internationally for its general entertainment brand? Or is the provision of a streaming bundle just a regional deal?






The France-based Annecy International Animation Festival featured India's Creative Economy.

15 June 2023: A delegation from India led by Secretary I&B highlights the ministry's incentives for the AVGC industry and discusses the possibility of holding an international animation festival in India.


Swati Bhat

an Indian delegation headed by the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri. Apurva Chandra has been displaying India's talent for producing animation and VFX content for audiences throughout the world at AIAF

This year marks India's debut participation in The Annecy International Animation Festival (AIAF). At the AIAF, an Indian delegation headed by the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, Shri. Apurva Chandra has been displaying India's talent for producing animation and VFX content for audiences throughout the world.

India has lately emerged as a preferred destination for VFX and animation content for global production houses. The animation and VFX market in India was pegged to be valued at Rs 109 billion in 2021, with the VFX business alone amounting to Rs 50 billion. This figure is expected to grow to Rs 180 billion by 2024 according to a E&Y report. India's participation at Annecy, therefore, assumes greater importance as the country showcases its abilities in the sector to international buyers.

Speaking about India's participation, Shri. Chandra said, "The Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects, and Comics (AVGC) Sector in India is making progress with the adoption of world-class techniques and innovative technologies, coupled with a pool of immensely talented professionals. India is one of the few countries providing cash incentives to foreign companies for making AVGC content in India. The incentives are the same as for shooting films in India. This is a huge opportunity for companies to benefit from this. As a country, we are committed to providing incentives to the industry, as well as supporting pre and post-production activities in India."

At the festival, Shri. Chandra spoke with AIAF director Michael Marin about ways to deepen India's participation in Annecy and the possibility of partnering with France to establish an animation film festival in India. Shri. Chandra opened the India Pavilion, which was built around the Saraswati Yantra design theme, and he also spoke with the Indian creative community whose works were chosen as winners of the prestigious Annecy festival competition in 2023. Young artists Arvind Jeena, Nikita Prabhudesai Jeena, Upamanyu Bhattacharyya, and Kalp Sanghvi attended the event among veterans of the field such Kireet Khurana, Saraswati Vani Balgum, Biren Ghosh, Anil Wanvari, and Anne Doshi.

Besides, Shri. Chandra interacted with delegates from other countries and the discussions centered around the various initiatives of the Ministry with regard to the AVGC sector, and the incentives given by the Indian Government for ease of business in the sector.




bottom of page