Hulu has quietly grown into a major streaming service. It has more than 52 million subscribers and roughly double the number of viewers. What sets Hulu apart from other streaming services is that it offers customers a live TV option, which enables consumers to cut the cord with a viable alternative to cable's live TV.
The Walt Disney Company (DIS -2.52%) agreed to buy the remaining stake in Hulu from Comcast (CMCSA -2.4%) in late 2023. That deal made it the sole owner of the streaming service, enabling Disney to become an even bigger streaming powerhouse.
In early 2025, Disney agreed to combine its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo (FUBO -4.35%). The entertainment giant will own 70% of the combined company, which Fubo's management team will operate. The company will have 6.2 million North American subscribers.
With Disney buying the remaining stake in Hulu and then combining the Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo, it seems unlikely that the streaming service will complete an initial public offering (IPO) anytime soon. However, people interested in investing in Hulu and the streaming trend have many options worth considering while waiting to see if Hulu ever goes public.
Is it publicly traded?
Is Hulu publicly traded?
Hulu wasn't a publicly traded company as of early 2025. The streaming company was a joint venture owned by Disney (67%) and Comcast (33%). Comcast exercised its right to sell its interest in Hulu to Disney in late 2023 for a floor price of $8.6 billion (valuing the streaming service at $27.5 billion).
IPO
When will it IPO?
When will Hulu IPO?
Hulu didn't have an IPO on the calendar as of early 2025. The company likely won't complete an IPO anytime soon, given that Disney acquired full control over the streaming company. The entertainment company sees owning 100% of Hulu as crucial to its streaming ambitions.
How to invest
How to buy Hulu stock
You can't currently buy shares of Hulu since it's not a publicly traded company. However, there are alternative ways to invest in the streaming company and the trends driving its growth. Three Hulu alternatives are:
1. The Walt Disney Co.
The Walt Disney Co. is the best way to invest in Hulu. The company acquired full control over the streaming service in a deal with its former partner, Comcast. In addition to Hulu, Disney has two other streaming services (Disney+ and ESPN+). Meanwhile, the broader Disney portfolio also features Pixar, Marvel, Lucas Films, theme parks, and cruise ships. Disney is an entertainment and streaming behemoth.
2. Netflix
Netflix (NFLX -1.4%) is a streaming giant. It entered 2025 with more than 283 million subscribers in 190 countries. Netflix generated almost $25 billion in revenue during the first nine months of its 2024 fiscal year. It also booked almost $4.5 billion in profit and roughly $5.8 billion in adjusted free cash flow.
Meanwhile, Netflix expects to continue growing in 2025 as it invests in new content, broadens its offerings (games and live sports), and taps into the lucrative digital ad market.
3. Comcast
Comcast has been narrowing its focus in recent years. It sold its stake in Hulu to Disney and unveiled a plan to create a leading independent media business by spinning off select cable TV networks in late 2024. The new company will operate USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, and other brands. Meanwhile, Comcast will focus on growing its residential broadband and wireless networks, as well as NBCUniversal's streaming service (Peacock), studios, and theme parks.
Investors who want to buy one of these Hulu alternatives can purchase shares in any brokerage account. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to invest in stocks like Hulu.
Step 1: Open a brokerage account
You'll need a brokerage account before buying shares of any company. If you still need to open one, here are some of the best-rated brokers and trading platforms. Take your time to research the brokers to find the best one for you.
Step 2: Figure out your budget
Before making your first trade, you'll need to determine a budget for how much money you want to invest. You'll then want to decide how to allocate that money. The Motley Fool's investing philosophy recommends building a diversified portfolio of 25 or more stocks you plan to buy and hold for at least five years.
You don't have to get there on the first day. For example, if you have $1,000 available to start investing, you might want to begin by allocating that money equally across at least 10 stocks and then grow from there.
Step 3: Do your research
It's essential to thoroughly research a company before buying its shares. You should learn about how it makes money, its competitors, its balance sheet, and other factors to ensure you have a solid grasp on whether the company can grow value for its shareholders over the long term.
Step 4: Place an order
Once you've opened and funded a brokerage account, set your investing budget, and researched the stock, it's time to buy shares. The process is relatively straightforward. Go to your brokerage account's order page and fill out all the relevant information, including:
- The number of shares you want to buy or the amount you want to invest to purchase fractional shares.
- The stock ticker (DIS for Disney, NFLX for Netflix, and CMCSA for Comcast).
- Whether you want to place a limit order or a market order. The Motley Fool recommends using a market order since it guarantees you buy shares immediately at market price.
Once you complete the order page, click to submit your trade and become a shareholder in one of these streaming stocks while you wait to see whether Hulu ever goes public.
If Hulu goes public, investors will follow a similar process to buy its IPO stock. Should shares become available after an IPO, you would fill out the order page at your brokerage account with Hulu's selected stock ticker and submit your trade.
Profitability
Is Hulu profitable?
Disney doesn't break out Hulu's results in its financial reporting. However, the company's combined direct-to-consumer streaming business was profitable. It delivered two straight quarters of positive operating income to end the company's 2024 fiscal year. Its total operating income for the full year was around $100 million, a $2.7 billion improvement from its 2023 fiscal year.
The company has been integrating Hulu into Disney+ to provide bundled subscribers with even easier access to its extensive content library. That integration should enable Disney to leverage its growing streaming scale to reduce costs and increase the profitability of Hulu and its Disney+ streaming service.
Should I invest?
Should I invest in Hulu?
You can't invest directly in Hulu because Disney owns the company. However, you can indirectly invest in the company through Disney, which owns the streaming service.
Investing in Disney gives you exposure to the growth of streaming through Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. In addition, Disney owns a treasure trove of beloved characters, brands, and experiences. The Disney family of companies also includes Marvel, Pixar, and Lucas Films. Meanwhile, Disney owns several theme parks, a cruise line, and other experiences. The company's profitability has been improving now that its streaming business is making money, which should benefit shareholders over the long term.
ETFs
ETFs with exposure to Hulu
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) enable you to invest passively in the broader stock market or specific themes without actively managing a portfolio of stocks.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)
Although you can't use ETFs to invest in Hulu passively, you can use them to gain exposure to its parent company, Disney. Some top ETF options to passively invest in Disney and the business of streaming include:
- Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund ETF (VOX -2.35%): This fund's main objective is to track stocks in the communication services sector. The ETF held shares of 118 companies as of early 2025, including Netflix (4.8%), Disney (4.5%), and Comcast (4%). The fund had a low 0.1% ETF expense ratio.
- Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Communication Services ETF (RSPC -0.06%): The fund has a roughly equal portfolio weighting to all the communication services stocks in the S&P 500. This ETF held shares of 26 companies in early 2025, including Disney (4.5% of its holdings), Netflix (4.4%), and Comcast (4.4%). The ETF had a 0.4% total expense ratio.
- iShares Global Comm Services ETF (IXP -2.1%): This ETF gives investors broad exposure to the entire global communication services industry. It held 65 companies in early 2025, including Disney (4.5% of its assets), Netflix (4.3%), and Comcast (3.5%). The ETF had a 0.41% expense ratio.
Related investing topics
The bottom line
The bottom line on Hulu
While you can't invest directly in Hulu because it's not an independent company, you can indirectly invest in the streaming service through its owner, Disney. It's one of several streaming services Disney operates and the only profitable one in the group. Disney is working hard to improve the profitability of its streaming services and other operations, which should help boost value for its shareholders in the coming years.
FAQs
Investing in Hulu FAQs
Can you buy stock in Hulu?
You can't buy stock in Hulu. It's a private company owned by Disney.
What stock company owns Hulu?
Disney owns Hulu. It acquired the remaining stake in the company from Comcast.
Why does Hulu not have a stock symbol or price?
Hulu does not have a stock symbol or price because it's not a publicly traded company. It's a privately held company owned by Disney.
How much would it cost to buy Hulu company stock?
There isn't a cost to buy Hulu company stock because it's not a publicly traded company. However, you can buy shares of its owner, Disney. Shares of the media and entertainment giant cost about $110 each in early 2025.
