Report: Hulu is already building, testing a subscription service
Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:45PM EDT
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Just a few days ago, News Corp CEO and Hulu investor Rupert Murdoch said that "no decisions have been made" about whether to start charging for the videos on Hulu. But according to a recent report, Hulu is, in fact, already working on a subscription service and is now busy testing it.
Dan Rayburn writes on the BusinessOfVideo blog that execs at Hulu have "a very clear plan for the [subscription] offering from a technical standpoint," and that engineers are "already beta-testing a subscription-based video service internally."
Hulu has yet to comment on the report, but according to Rayburn's unnamed sources, Hulu has already pretty much licked the technical issues of the subscription video service, although Hulu execs are "not sure how to roll it out product-wise" or how best to strike new business deals with the various TV and movie content owners.
In any case, if what Rayburn is telling us it true, then it sounds like some type of paid subscription wall and/or pay-per-view on Hulu isn't a matter of "if," but "when." The good news, at least, is that the "when" is probably "not ... anytime this year," Rayburn writes.
The story doesn't clear up questions such as whether Hulu would start charging for just some or all of its streaming TV and movie offerings—or, if we are in fact talking a "mix of pay and free," as News Corp. execs said earlier this month, which videos would be paid (the newest and latest? the most popular?) and which would still be gratis (albeit ad-supported).
The suits at News Corp., which owns a hefty stake in Hulu, have been hinting for months that they might start charging for at least some of the site's free TV shows and movies (such as "30 Rock," "24," "The Office," and "Bones").
Of course, the whole reason we like Hulu is that the videos are free. Take the "free" part away, and I'll just go back to watching my shows off my DVR, or grabbing them online in ... well, other ways.
So, would you stick with Hulu if it started charging for videos?
Related:
Hulu Already Working On The Technical Requirements For Subscription Service [BusinessOfVideo.com]
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Comments on Report: Hulu is already building, testing a subscription service
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2 Posted by nerd160 on Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:21PM EDT Report Abuse
I only watch one show on Hulu (heck amp;#39;s Kitchen). I like that it is free, but if they charged me, then yes, I would leave Hulu.
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3 Posted by emarr3 on Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:09PM EDT Report Abuse
I will not pay if I have to watch commercials. They can charge me if they offer me an ad-free option. I'll just go the next free streaming site if they don't.
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4 Posted by janettwokay on Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:25PM EDT Report Abuse
I only watch Hulu because its shows are free. If I have to pay, I won't use the service.
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5 Posted by kevin.hanson@ymail.com on Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:27PM EDT Report Abuse
I'd bail out like wall street
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1 Posted by heiresschild on Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse
would i stick with Hulu if it starts charging for videos? depends on the videos and the price. however, if i have to pay for tv programs, then i won't be using Hulu's website any longer. i can't afford to pay for cable, so being able to watch some of my favorite programs on the internet without having to pay a fee has been good.