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It’s hard to overstate how much Disney’s proposed acquisition of Fox will disrupt the entertainment landscape. But now you can add streaming to the long list of networks, shows, and establishments whose futures seem uncertain in the shadow of this approaching merger. According to President of ABC Entertainment Group Channing Dungey, ABC doesn’t know how it’s streaming strategy will change, but conversations are happening.
“There are some discussions that are happening right now at a really high level,” Dungey told Decider at TCA 2018. “But until the merger and all of that is totally finalized and we begin the process of immigration, I don’t have a lot more to report on that.”
Currently ABC offers many ways to stream its original programming. Most epsiodes of its biggest shows like The Bachelor, Fresh Off the Boat, and black-ish are available to stream on Hulu. ABC.com and the ABC apps also offer livestreaming with a cable log in, and Freeform lets users stream older shows like Greek and The Middle as well as original series like grown-ish. But if (or at this point when) the Fox merger is completed, ABC will have a much closer relationship with Hulu, and that may complicate how you stream its shows.
The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox each own 30 percent of Hulu, meaning that when the deal goes through Disney will be a majority shareholder at 60 percent. In addition to Hulu, Disney would also have control over Freeform, ESPN’s streaming services, and the yet-to-be-released announced Disney streaming service. It’s unknown how much of ABC’s library will be divided among these platforms.
Making things more complicated is Netflix’s recent deals with super producers Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris. Barris is in a relatively easy streaming spot as Hulu carries all seasons of black-ish and America’s Next Top Model, but currently some of Rhimes’ most popular shows are spread between the streaming service Disney will soon control and the company who lured her away from ABC. Netflix carries full runs of three of Rhimes’ most popular shows — Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. Conversely Hulu has full runs of Grey’s and more recent Rhimes projects like Station 19 and For the People, but it only has the most recent five episodes of Scandal and HTGAWM.
It’s a complicated situation with no clear answers that seems to only get more complicated by the day. But one thing is for sure. We’ll be watching closely and letting you know where you can get your ABC binge-watching fix.
