Hulu: UK Expansion Proving Difficult
Hulu is a service that many in the UK have longed for. Available only in the U.S., the service allows viewers to watch popular shows online. The content is usually supplemented with a couple of short ads from sponsors but is otherwise free to access.
It's been three years since Hulu launched in America, and the company now counts ABC, Fox and NBC among its 250 partners. However, it would appear we are no closer to getting Hulu UK because of difficulty securing content.
"We are going strong on several opportunities internationally," Johannes Larcher, senior VP for Hulu International, told attendees at IP&TV World Forum 2011, adding that "the biggest problem is content."
"Unless we can see a way to secure that content at reasonable economic terms, then it’s going to be difficult for us."
Larcher also said that Hulu wants to impress viewers with the kind of content it offers, and that's making the market difficult to enter.
"So on day one when we come to UK, and I'm not saying we are coming to the UK, content has to be expanded to provide TV and feature films that make the service wow the audience and unless we see a way to secure that content, it's very difficult to enter a market."
While Hulu does charge for some aspects of its service, many fans say their Hulu subscription represents a cheaper alternative to a cable subscription. Would you give up you digital TV package for Hulu UK? Let us know in the comments below!
Further Reading:
Bloomberg
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Why do we need Hulu, we already have Sky Player, iPlayer, 4OD, ITV player etc etc, a lot of those are free too.
Why do we need Hulu, we already have Sky Player, iPlayer, 4OD, ITV player etc etc, a lot of those are free too.
Because they don't offer most of the American TV shows, and they aren't available in the US so they miss out on a lot of our good shows.
I've a feeling the BBC won't play ball as they are planning to internationally release their shows through iPlayer for a £10/month fee. Not to mention the fact that Hulu will most likely compete with them domestically.
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