Pulse2 Technology and Social Media News » Hulu

New FCC Rule Could Benefit Cord Cutters

Amit Chowdhry — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:05:55 +0000

The FCC is considering changes that would benefit cord-cutters, people that decided that connecting their laptops and using services like Netflix and Hulu makes satisfies them enough to not have a cable TV account with Comcast, AT&T, etc. The FCC is considering changing the definition of “multichannel video programming distributor” (MVPD) to include websites like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube. MVPDs have always been clearly defined as content providers like satellite and cable companies. Networks are required to sell their content to any MVPD that wants it. If the FCC includes YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix as an MVPD, these websites could purchase content from networks like CBS and the network would be forced to sell. CBS is one out of a few networks that has refused to put their content on Hulu.

The question about who is considered an MVPD came up when Christian online-based media company Sky Angel approached the Discovery Channel to have some of their content offered to Sky Angel customers. Discovery Channel refused to sell so Sky Angel appealed to the FCC. Initially the FCC ruled that Sky Angel is not considered an MVPD so Discovery was not obligated to sell. Sky Angel appealed so the FCC started to consider what an MVPD is today’s digital world is.

Hulu Plus Hitting 2 Million Paid Subscribers This Week

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:07:12 +0000

Hulu Plus will hit 2 million paid subscribers this week according to The New York Times. This means that Hulu Plus has added 500,000 new subscribers in the last four months. “We grew the business 60 percent from 2010 to approximately $420 million in revenue” in 2011 said Hulu CEO Jason Kilar back in January. This was around the same time that Hulu Plus hit 1.5 million paid subscribers. Hulu Plus is doing very well, but Netflix was hitting about 1 million subscribers per quarter at their height.

Hulu Plus has a large collection of new and old shows. Hulu Plus is available on the web, mobile devices, and video game consoles. To gain additional subscribers, Hulu Plus has started adding original programming with shows like “Battleground” and “Up To Speed.”

Hulu will also gain access to a new advertising market by setting up original programming. Hulu will host an “upfront” presentation, which have historically been used by networks to pitch advertisers on their upcoming programming.

Hulu To Have A Superbowl Ad Starring Will Arnett [VIDEO]

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:10:15 +0000

This Sunday is Super Bowl XLVI and this year’s advertisements are supposed to be really creative. It looks like Hulu will have an ad this year again. Hulu first advertised on the Super Bowl in 2009 in a commercial starring Alec Baldwin as a secret alien. This year Will Arnett is Hulu’s commercial star. Above is a teaser of the commercial. The commercial was created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky.

Hulu Planning To Raise Additional Funding For Expansion Into Original Programming

Amit Chowdhry — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:36:18 +0000

Online TV service Hulu.com, the company that is owned by ABC, NBC, and Fox is intensifying their competition against Nextflix and they are planning to raise money to expand into more original programming. Hulu is releasing their first scripted show “Battleground” on February 14th and is weighing an option to raise cash this year according to chief content officer Andy Forssell.

“We have a very healthy business,” stated Forssell. “When you have a healthy business, capital is not a problem. There are plenty of people who want to help.” Last year Hulu cancelled a sale and postponed an IPO. Hulu also ordered 10 new episodes of Morgan Spurlock’s “A Day in the Life,” a documentary series that is returning in March.

Hulu Plus customers pay $7.99 per month and they can watch shows in high-definition and they can access programs on mobile devices. Last year Fox started restricting when new TV show episodes will become available to nonpaying viewers. Hulu hit $420 million in total 2011 revenues.

[Bloomberg]

Hulu Makes $420 Million In 2011 Revenues

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:23:56 +0000

Hulu.com, the joint venture video streaming company of NBCUniversal, Fox Entertainment Group, and Disney, has reported their 2011 numbers and they are BIG! Hulu has grown 60% from 2010 to $420 million in revenues despite the slow economy, which directly affects the advertising market. Hulu’s ad business grew aggressively and Hulu Plus helped their revenues shoot up from between $200-$300 million in 2010.

Hulu Plus has about 1.5 million paying subscribers and their numbers are growing at a rapid pace. Hulu Plus is attracting more than 2 times the number of subscribers each day when compared to the same time last year. In 2012, Hulu is planning on spending about about $500 million in content on behalf of their users.

“At scale, our model allows us to profitably pay content owners approximately 50% more in content licensing fees per subscriber when compared to other similarly priced online subscription services. We believe our approach will enable us to secure more valuable content for our users and to secure content in more attractive windows than would otherwise be possible. To that end, we are excited to invest approximately half a billion in content in 2012 on behalf of our users,” stated Hulu CEO Jason Kilar on the company blog.

Hulu Plus Coming To Kindle Fire

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:16:12 +0000

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has announced that the Kindle Fire will have a Hulu Plus application and an ESPN ScoreCenter application. This is a follow-up to Amazon’s announcement of Facebook, Pandora, Rhapsody, EA, Zynga, and Rovio apps. [paidContent]

Fox’s Eight-Day Delays Lead to Huge Spike in Torrenting

Riley Kennysmith — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:21:27 +0000

Fox has been sticking to its eight-day delay guns for a week now, and the company’s future already looks grim. As anyone with half a brain predicted, when faced with an eight-day delay to popular programming, consumers respond by getting their tv illegally. TorrentFreak reports a 114% increase in downloads for Hell’s Kitchen and a 189% increase in downloads for MasterChef, which had its season finale this week. The episodes used to be available next-day on Hulu, but Fox is now only giving Hulu Plus and Dish Network the next-day privileges.

Fox clearly hoped that the content delay would encourage viewers to either watch the programs live or shell out for Hulu Plus, and foolishly ignored the reality of online piracy of their shows. Some consumers went straight to torrents, while others flocked to youtube uploads of the shows. What Fox fails to realize is that some shows beg to be watched immediately, and very few people are willing to spend extra money on something that can be had for free. [GigaOM]

Hulu Will Expand Service to Japan This Year

Riley Kennysmith — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:28:51 +0000

Hulu is going international: to Japan! Rumor has it that the company will offer a premium subscription service to Japanese customers, which will be launched later this year. As Hulu’s blog on the expansion notes, “Japanese content has played an important part of Hulu’s content lineup in the United States for a long time already.” The Japanese version of Hulu will be “specifically tailored” for Japan’s consumers. [TechCrunch, image via Hulu]

Rovi Sues Hulu for Patent Infringement

Riley Kennysmith — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:46:11 +0000

Rovi Corp, the streaming service tech company behind Blockbuster On Demand and CinemaNow, is suing Hulu for patent infringement. The patent in question is related to electronic program guides. Rovi has filed the suit to seek compensation for lost revenue and treble damages. [Reuters]

Fox Denies Hulu Next-Day Streaming Programs

Riley Kennysmith — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:13:28 +0000

Hulu’s potential buyers may be edging away from a deal after Fox’s decision to limit the streaming to Hulu. Fox has decided to limit the streaming of programs, allowing only paying customers access to next-day streaming and letting non-paying users wait eight days for the programs to stream. Television networks like Fox are upset by the traffic Hulu drains from their own websites. The New York Times reports that ABC may follow Fox’s suit. [Mashable]