Disney is considering making Hulu go International

Hulu LLC, an online-streaming venture backed by the biggest companies in entertainment, bought out AT&T Inc.’s 9.5 percent stake in a deal worth about $1.43 billion. The accord, which values the whole entity at $15 billion, leaves the business with just a pair of owners: Walt Disney Co., which has majority control, and Comcast Corp.

Disney said last week that a Hulu price cut -- which lowered the cost of its entry-level, ad-supported version by 25 percent to $6 a month -- helped bring a surge of customers. The company also is considering an international rollout for Hulu.

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Comcast Corp has agreed to give Walt Disney Co full control of Hulu in a deal that puts a minimum future value on the streaming service of $27.5 billion while laying the groundwork for the creation of a powerful competitor for Netflix Inc.

In a statement on Tuesday, the companies said Disney would immediately assume full operational control of Hulu under an agreement that allows either company to trigger a sale of Comcast’s 33% stake to Disney after January 2024.

Disney and Comcast also said they had agreed to fund Hulu’s recent buyout of AT&T’s 9.5% interest in the company.

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