Despite the jarring genres between the core Disney brand and the darker iterations like American Horror Story, the reason for this lineup inclusion can be traced back to Disney buying out Hulu. Disney's role in Hulu expanded significantly after it gained majority control by acquiring 21st Century Fox, further solidifying its influence. Disney acquired a 33% stake in Hulu from Comcast for at least $8.6 billion, thereby gaining full operational control of Hulu, per AP.

In the wake of the acquisition, Disney began to consolidate its streaming services, offering a bundled package that included Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. In this brand alignment, American Horror Story, a show created by Fox and often available on Hulu, inevitably made its way to Disney Plus screens.