The soap operas from ABC’s past have finally returned online. All My Children and One Life to Live Prospect Park pilots each were posted to Hulu Monday morning for the daytime savvy to check out. It may be difficult to succeed limiting the audience to streaming viewers, but this could work which is why many will be paying attention for future models where no-name companies pick up classic programs. Continue Reading
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In more recent times, the broadcaster has shifted their partial-offering of new primetime programming to a full roster through their own website. It was not so long ago that fans of Criminal Minds, Big Brother, etc. had to wait a few additional weeks for access or receive none at all; however, the the executives in charge seemed to have received the memo a while back that their most-watched network title might be up for grabs if they failed to engage younger, more tech savy viewers. That said, we anticipate seeing more of this strategy going forward from CBS. While they still have not figured out Twitter yet as evidenced by their hashtag spam during reality shows, they are improving and that is all we can really expect from a channel whose average audience member is in their mid-50′s. Continue Reading
Read More: Hulu Plus Passes 2 Million Subscribers This flies in the face of everything that the platform was built for as even prior to the proliferation of Netflix’s streaming empire, Hulu was founded as a legitimate alternative to downloading programs illegally. The thinking was that if the content was readily available then people would be less likely to go looking for torrents and waste space on their computers. That would provide the networks with at least some revenue from the internet savvy as opposed to none, and it worked. 31 million unique users accessed Hulu videos last month alone–a statistic that will almost definitely fall in the coming years when the initiative takes full effect. Given such popularity only translated into $420 million of revenue last year and Plus subscription fees alone are about to outweigh revenue from ads, this seems like a sound business decision in the short term. The only way this would not work in the company’s favor is if they vastly underestimated the effect of free programming on its premium user base. When the number of free users drop off a cliff, will it mean that there will be less eyeballs considering a leap to Plus? Stay tuned for more as this story develops. [NYP] Up All Night’s Will Arnett is headlining the Hulu Super Bowl ads this year, and here they are. The spots are basically the same gimmick as before–turning minds into mush.
Their performance in the revenue department was equally as excellent as Hulu raked in $420 million last year–a growth percentage of 60. The takeaway from all this is that people thought the company could not compete against the likes of Netflix, and this proves that they might eventually turn into that powerhouse competitor in the subscription streaming industry that Netflix needs to keep it honest.
The news in this one isn’t necessarily the specific acquisition, but rather the premise that Hulu is progressing as a Neflix-like content farm beyond that of primetime broadcast television and niche documentaries that nobody wants.
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CBS has finally caved to pressure and joined the Hulu family. After years of being the lone major broadcaster to say internet-offered media was a bad idea, the network has suddenly shifted course to complete the puzzle via the streaming company’s premium subscription program. This should not exactly come as a shock though from the channel that has had a tendency to drag its feet on digital distribution.
While not as sexy as broadcast and cable developmental slates, Hulu has one, and they just released their plans for the summer. 
Hot off the news that Hulu Plus has surpassed 2 million subscribers comes word of a startling new revelation that threatens the relevancy of the streaming service’s free-to-stream programming. The New York Post is reporting today that there is an authentication initiative in the works at Hulu that will essentially make the company’s zero-fee offerings require verification of a pay-television membership. In other words, if a user does not have cable or satellite then they will be forced to pony up $7.99 a month for a subscription to Plus.
Hulu released a statement today via 
Hulu and Lionsgate have announced a deal to bring the Canadian drama Endgame to Hulu and Hulu Plus platforms. The one-season drama from North of the boarder stars actor Shawn Doyle as a chess master who helps solve crimes in order to pay the bills, and it will be available to stream by users as early as today.
Press Release: 
Deadline is reporting that Google has been aggressively signing major media companies up for distribution pacts through revamped Youtube channels, and they plan to lay down $150 million to make this happen. There is a lot in question about the management of ad systems still, but it appears this huge push to add mainstream content to Youtube is a go for early next year. 
What a tease this whole situation was. Months ago, it was big news that Hulu would be sold off, but apparently the people deciding the sale either did not think exclusive rights to content would be something bidders cared about or simply started the process before checking with their owners. Now the sale has been officially called off. Read more for the press statement. 