Disney's Hulu + Live TV and Fubo Consolidation. Why Advertisers Need Partners to Reach the Right Audiences

The recent announcement of the merger between Disney's Hulu + Live TV and Fubo marks a pivotal moment in the streaming industry. This collaboration, described as a consumer-first streaming company, promises greater choice, flexibility, and improved financial positioning for the combined entity. While this merger is a win for consumers and the industry in some respects, it introduces significant challenges for advertisers trying to target the right audiences effectively.

As Fubo’s Co-Founder and CEO David Gandler noted, the merger enables the new platform to scale effectively and offer competitive pricing. However, for advertisers, the merger presents a more complex landscape where overlapping audiences and fragmented data can lead to inefficiencies and wasted ad spending.

Entertaiment industry 2025. The trend for consolidation

The possibility that consolidation will reshape the competitive landscape has become a reality. And Hulu + Live TV and Fubo just started the season.

Analysts predict the emergence of three to five dominant distribution hubs as major players merge or form partnerships to streamline operations and enhance viewer engagement.

The recent merger between Disney's Hulu + Live TV and Fubo signals a shift toward bundled services that unify fragmented viewing experiences. This trend, driven by the need for operational efficiency and audience retention, underscores a pivotal year for the industry.

Mergers and acquisitions are expected to surge as companies adapt to evolving market dynamics. With reduced regulatory scrutiny and favorable financial conditions, major players like Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery may restructure or divest assets to strengthen their core operations.

Meanwhile, Big Tech companies are anticipated to increase their footprint in entertainment by acquiring vulnerable traditional studios, further altering the competitive landscape. These moves reflect a broader alignment toward direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, as traditional pay-TV subscriptions are projected to fall below 50 million in 2025.

Streaming platforms are experimenting with bundling strategies to consolidate their audience base, while regional content becomes a focal point to cater to diverse global markets. For advertisers, this consolidation introduces challenges and opportunities.

Fragmented audiences across newly merged platforms increase the risk of overlapping impressions and wasted ad spend. Navigating this complex ecosystem requires advanced targeting and unified measurement solutions. Strategic partners like Simulmedia can provide the tools necessary to optimize cross-channel campaigns and ensure ads reach the right audience, maximizing ROI in a competitive market.

The Stakes: Missed Opportunities and Inflated Costs

Consolidations like the Hulu + Live TV and Fubo merger magnify the risks of misaligned ad strategies. Without a precise understanding of audience behaviors and preferences across the combined platform, advertisers face several issues:

1. Audience Duplication: When campaigns are not optimized for cross-platform audiences, advertisers pay for duplicate impressions, reducing the cost-effectiveness of their campaigns.
2. Fragmented Measurement: Consolidated platforms often struggle to provide unified reporting, making it harder for advertisers to gauge their campaigns’ success across different viewer segments.
3. Missed Targeting Opportunities: Without granular audience insights, advertisers risk showing ads to the wrong segments, resulting in wasted budgets and diminished ROI.

In an era where every ad dollar is scrutinized, advertisers cannot afford these inefficiencies. They need partners who can navigate the complexity of consolidated platforms and ensure that their campaigns are both effective and precise.

The Solution: Strategic Partners to Navigate Complexity

This is where Simulmedia comes in. As a trusted partner for TV media buyers and advertisers, we specialize in simplifying the complexities of fragmented and consolidated media landscapes. Our approach ensures that your campaigns are targeted, measurable, and impactful across platforms like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.

Here’s how we can help:

1. Unified Audience Insights: Simulmedia’s platform consolidates data from across linear TV and streaming services, providing a single, unified view of your audience. This eliminates the guesswork in targeting and minimizes audience duplication.
2. Precision Targeting Across Platforms: Using advanced algorithms, we help advertisers identify and target the right audiences, whether they’re on Hulu, Fubo, or both. This ensures that your ad spend goes toward reaching new viewers rather than repeating impressions.
3. Cross-Channel Measurement and Optimization: Our tools provide real-time insights into campaign performance across all platforms, enabling you to adjust your strategy on the fly. With Simulmedia, you can allocate budgets to the most effective channels and maximize your ROI.
4. Future-Proof Strategies: As consolidations continue to reshape the streaming landscape, our solutions adapt to ensure your campaigns remain effective in any environment.