Disney, Charter strike new carriage deal including Hulu and previously dropped cablenets 

Season four of culinary dramedy The Bear premiered this week

Disney has struck an expanded carriage agreement with Charter Communications in the US, bringing streamer Hulu to Charter’s Spectrum TV Select for the first time and returning eight cable networks to its lineup.

The addition of the ad-supported version of Hulu will come at no extra cost and sees it join existing Disney brands such as Disney+ and ESPN+ on Spectrum TV Select.

Hulu’s roster of titles includes season four of culinary dramedy The Bear, which premiered this week, and a two-part documentary about the host of the hit podcast Call Her Daddy, Alex Cooper.

Linear networks Disney Jr, Disney XD, Freeform, FXX, FXM, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and BabyTV are also rejoining the lineup after they were dropped two years ago amid an ugly carriage dispute that resulted in subscribers being without any Disney services for 10 days.

In addition, Charter said the soon-to-launch ESPN streaming service will also be included in the package once it launches in the fall.

“We began this journey to transform the video proposition for consumers with Disney, so it is befitting that this new agreement and the doubling down on our strategy continues with them,” said Charter’s executive VP of programming acquisition Tom Montemagno.

“This extension is a true testament to our mutual confidence in this innovative model – which already is showing improvement in subscriber churn – and our commitment to work creatively together to achieve win-win outcomes for both of us and most importantly for our customers – all achieved mid-cycle and absent from any of the typical pressures from expiring agreements.”

Sean Breen, exec VP of Disney Platform Distribution, added: “With the addition of Hulu and the return of our full portfolio of channels, we’re pleased to expand and extend our agreement with Charter – delivering the most robust and valuable combination of linear and streaming entertainment for years to come.”