Hulu, a streaming video site took another major step in becoming a premiere live-TV streaming service as they made up a deal with major TV networks which will launch next year. In a deal with Walt Disney and 21st Century Fox and additional of more than 35 TV networks including ABC and ESPN are ensured by Hulu. The site is making a move to ensure that it will be a major player in crowded field vying cord-cutters. This plans aims to be an upending the typical TV landscape.
The latest deals follow an agreement where Time Warner with Hulu bring up board channels like CNN, TBS and TNT. This agreement approves that Time Warner will purchase a buy a 10% stake in Hulu for $583 million, in August. In 2017, Hulu will offer a package of live programming from cable networks and broadcast with a $40 monthly subscription price as it confirmed last May, as reported by Fortune.
Currently, Hulu offers on-demand video content ranging from the past to current series. Most of these are owned by its parent companies with roughly 12 million subscribers paying almost as $11.99 for a monthly subscription. In addition, Disney, 21st Century Fox, and Concast'sNBCUniversal own 30% stake each in Hulu.
According to CEO Mike Hopkins, he considers the Disney and Fox channels important in the pursue of the the plans of his company. They are building a service which offers the most-sought after programming on television for their subscribers. He emphasized that the two new deals will allow them to give TV fans of all ages a whole new, more, flexible, highly personalized live and on-demand access to their preferred programs.
In its press release on November 8, Hulu defined its live TV streaming service as complement to its current on-demand service. The close ties it made with the content providers like Disney and Comcast could develop a new shape in the competitive field of streaming services.
These have great potential for educational purposes as well.
