Disney teams up with Kardashian family in multiyear Hulu deal
“Keeping Up with the Kardashians” — 2.0?
Disney (DIS) said it has teamed up with the famous family during its Investor Day on Thursday — announcing an exclusive, multiyear deal that will allow the Kardashians to create “global content that will stream exclusively on Hulu [which Disney has a majority stake in] in the U.S.” and abroad on the company’s Star platform by late 2021.
All five Kardashian/Jenner sisters — Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie — along with mother Kris are expected to star in the upcoming series.
The news comes just three months after Kim Kardashian West announced the end of E!’s (CMCSA) long-running reality series after 14 years on the air. Since various media sources have said the cast wanted a salary increase (which led to the decision to leave E!) all signs point to a big payday at Hulu. At the moment, Disney has not yet revealed the financial stipulations of the agreement.
Rumors have swirled that the KarJenners would eventually strike a deal with a streaming competitor — or even start a new platform on their own.
Variety reported in 2017 that the Kardashians had signed a “below $100 million” deal to renew “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” on E! through 2020.
However, a conflicting report from TMZ said the family signed a $150 million deal for five seasons. The family celebrated the partnership on Thursday with the hashtag Hulu 2021.
— Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) December 10, 2020
#Hulu2021 pic.twitter.com/tKBS5ceMQE
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) December 10, 2020
Hulu currently has 38.8 million subscribers whereas the media giant’s flagship streaming service Disney+ reigns supreme with an impressive 86.8 million users as of Dec. 2, the company said.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek added that the platform has “exceeded our wildest expectations” during a time when the entertainment industry at large has struggled to survive.
In a separate announcement, Disney said it will raise the Disney+ subscription price by $1 to $8 per month.
Netflix (NFLX) — one of Disney+’s largest competitors with 195 million subscribers— had previously announced another round of price hikes in October.
Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193
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