Earlier this month, The Walt Disney Company—under the leadership of CEO Bob Iger—made a decisive move that’s reverberating through the streaming landscape. Following a major acquisition, one of television’s most acclaimed series has now been pulled from Disney+ after a fleeting appearance.
Disney+ and Hulu continue to operate as two distinct platforms in the U.S., but that could change. As of June 10, Disney finalized its full acquisition of Hulu, buying out Comcast’s stake for nearly $9 billion. While both services are still presented separately to American subscribers, the company has already hinted at integrating its offerings more closely—an approach already embraced in several international markets.
Currently, Disney’s combined reach is formidable: approximately 126 million subscribers on Disney+, and another 53 million on Hulu. However, as competition from Netflix, Max, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video grows fiercer, Disney has indicated it may no longer publicly report its subscriber numbers—mirroring a strategy already in place at Netflix.
Still, platform consolidation isn’t the only strategy in play. Content availability is proving just as fluid.
In a surprising move, Disney+ briefly featured a Hulu original series this past week. FX’s The Bear was made available on Disney+ for a limited five-day window, beginning June 18. By Sunday, June 22, the series will no longer be accessible via Disney+. In the U.S., The Bear remains exclusive to Hulu, though international viewers—like those in the U.K.—can access the show directly on Disney+ due to regional platform integration.
Disney+ cycling content on and off its platform isn’t new. But the motivations vary. Back in 2023, Bob Iger initiated a sweeping content reduction across Disney+ as part of larger budget-saving measures. That decision aimed to slash $5 billion in company costs and resulted in the complete removal of several titles, including Lucasfilm’s Willow, which is now unavailable on any platform globally.
The Bear has quickly become a standout in modern television. The FX series follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a Michelin-starred chef who returns to his native Chicago to take over his late brother’s Italian beef shop. What starts as a modest attempt to keep the restaurant afloat evolves into an intense transformation, as Carmy and his team confront personal demons, professional challenges, and familial expectations.
The series has earned multiple awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes for stars White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Created by Christopher Storer, the show has wrapped three acclaimed seasons. Season 4 is set to premiere on June 25, 2025, streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in international markets. The returning cast—including Edebiri, Moss-Bachrach, Lionel Boyce, Colón-Zayas, and guests like Jamie Lee Curtis—continues to explore themes of identity, pressure, and legacy in a high-stakes kitchen environment.
What are your thoughts on The Bear‘s short-lived stint on Disney+? Share your take with us in the comments below.
