Hulu is an American subscription streaming service owned by Disney, launched on October 29, 2007, as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBCUniversal—with Jason Kilar as its first CEO—and now boasts 64.1 million paid memberships. Originally a free aggregator for recent episodes from its parent networks, it introduced Hulu Plus in 2010 and Hulu + Live TV in 2017, expanding its offerings to full seasons and live broadcast channels. Disney gained majority control in 2019 and full ownership by 2023 after buying out AT&T and Comcast, and in 2025 announced plans to fold the service into a shared Disney+ platform, though the standalone app still exists as of mid-2026. The service expanded internationally in 2025 by replacing Disney's Star brand on Disney+ abroad, and also completed a merger with competitor FuboTV on October 29, 2025. Its unique name comes from a Chinese proverb referencing a gourd, symbolizing a holder of precious things—fitting for a service that curates premium content.