Hulu has grown into a major streaming service. As of December 2025, it had more than 55 million subscribers. 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 +0.02%) agreed to buy the remaining stake in Hulu from Comcast (CMCSA +1.18%) 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 -0.78%). 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.
While you can't buy Hulu stock today, people interested in investing in the streaming trend have many options worth considering.
Is Hulu publicly traded?
Hulu wasn't a publicly traded company as of late 2025. Until 2024, 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 Hulu IPO?
Hulu didn't have an initial public offering (IPO) on the calendar as of late 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.
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. Its total operating income for the first three quarters of 2025 was around $975 million.
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.
Alternatives to 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.
1. The Walt Disney Co.
The Walt Disney Co. is the best way to invest in Hulu since it has full control over the streaming service. In addition to Hulu, Disney has two other streaming services (Disney+ and ESPN+). Meanwhile, the broader Disney portfolio also features Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, theme parks, and cruise ships. Disney is an entertainment and streaming behemoth.
2. Netflix
Netflix (NFLX -2.13%) is a streaming giant. In late 2025, it had more than 300 million subscribers in 190 countries. Netflix generated more than $21 billion in revenue during the first half of its 2025 fiscal year. It also booked almost $7.1 billion in profit during that time.
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.
How to buy stocks similar to Hulu
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.
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
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.
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 +1.95%): This fund's main objective is to track stocks in the communication services sector. The ETF held shares of 121 companies as of late 2025, including Netflix (4.38%), Disney (4.50%), and Comcast (3.05%). The fund had a low 0.09% ETF expense ratio.
- Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Communication Services ETF (RSPC +1.10%): The fund has a roughly equal portfolio weighting to all the communication services stocks in the S&P 500. This ETF held shares of 25 companies in late 2025, including Disney (4.26% of its holdings), Netflix (4.16%), and Comcast (4.04%). The ETF had a 0.4% total expense ratio.
- iShares Global Comm Services ETF (IXP +1.70%): This ETF gives investors broad exposure to the entire global communication services industry. It held 91 companies in late 2025, including Disney (4.06% of its assets), Netflix (4.06%), and Comcast (2.52%). The ETF had a 0.4% expense ratio.
The bottom line
While you can't invest directly in Hulu because it's not an independent company, you can indirectly invest in the streaming service through Hulu's owner, Disney. It's one of several streaming services Disney operates. 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.
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