Disney takes even greater control over Hulu after AT&T sells the bet

AT & T has sold its 10 percent stake in Hulu back to the streaming service today for $ 1.43 billion, in a move that will now give Disney (who had already gained controlling interest in Hulu through the Fox acquisition) yet more control ahead.

After-sales, which puts Disnes's stake in Hulu which owns 66 per cent of the service, with Comcast who owns the remaining 33 per cent. As a sign of how fast this has evolved, just last year, Hulu was still split evenly between Disney, Fox and Comcast – each holding a 30 percent cut of the company – along with AT & Ts's 1[ads1]0 percent stake.

Disney gets even more control over Hulu can also mean a radical shift in what Hulu himself is. The site right now offers streaming content from a wide range of vendors, including Comcast-owned NBC and Universal, and AT&T-owned networks such as TBS and TNT.

But with AT&T no longer in the game and the power balance shifted in Disney's favor, it's easy to imagine a future where Comcast and AT & T pull out their shows for the benefit of their own streaming efforts and leave Hulu as an exclusive Disney service that complements the upcoming Disney +. Disney has even suggested so much, with the company highlighting in recent days the various roles it has for Hulu and Disney + (Hulu offers more mature content) and even the potential for a common bundle.

And while it's good for Disney, it's an absolutely less appealing future for consumers, who could see one of the latest streaming services offering network content broken into even more monthly fees to see all your shows.