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Will Hulu Start Charging You to View Content?
Hulu experimenting with subscription-based content, according to NBC Universal exec.
hulu disney
October 22, 2009 | by Steve Crowe

The success of Hulu has largely stemmed from being able to watch your favorite shows anywhere, anytime ... for free.

However, it appears free content is not for long on the popular video-viewing site.

According to NBC Universal TV chief Marc Graboff, Hulu is experimenting with different business models, including subscription-based content “to turn those digital pennies into digital dollars.”

Hulu is jointly owned by General Electric Co’s NBC Universal, News Corp’s Fox Entertainment and Walt Disney Co’s ABC.

“I know [Hulu is] looking at any number of things,” Graboff adds, “like adding inventory (more advertising) or creating a subscription model with different windows.”

And by windows, Graboff means limited content availability. The specifics are not clear yet on what content could be subscription-based and what could be available to the masses.

But we do know not many (if any) outlets have been successful, yet, charging its users to view content.

Would you pay for Hulu? Please answer the poll below.


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Would You Pay for Hulu?



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Comments (9) Most recent displayed first.
Posted by Don  on  01/25/10  at  06:48 PM

Hulu already has the revenue answer play commercials like they do on the networks ,which they are doing now what more do they want. I still pay for satellite tv why would I pay for HULU when they are playing commercials like network tv .I dont get it that would be double dipping and you know what hulu can go take a flying leap if they do charge My DVR works great and I have no problem using it . I will gladly watch the commercials like I do now but I am not going to pay to watch hulu and watch commercials to! They are obviously not using there heads typical for sure. Also I thought that was what commercials were to for to sponsor the program,if not Please remove all commercials from all the networks and cable channels .

Posted by Jonny  on  10/28/09  at  12:50 AM

clearly they will not start charging us to pay for it, because, not only would another site spring up to show us free content, but also because if they need more moeny, theyll show more ads. I have already seen a huge increase of advertisements/commercials since hulu first came out, before it was about two 15 second commercials per show, but now its up to 5, at around 15-60 seconds per commercial

Posted by Kenneth Lawson  on  10/23/09  at  07:21 PM

As it stands now, Hulu has seemed to hit the right balance between content and ads.
I don’t mind 3-4 30 ads well spread out though the show. Thats a very small price to pay to have content that I either haven seen in years , or discovering new shows I hadn’t seen before.

  Being able to introduce my kids to classic tv shows is priceless.

Going to a paid model will allainate , and drive away 99% of the audience that are looking for and .undo most of the good they’ve done this last year.

Ken Lawson
http://lawsonreport.info/

Posted by John  on  10/23/09  at  08:56 AM

@Paul

Correct Hulu does not create the content, but they have to collect either advertising money, or now paid subscription to pay off the content providers.

Posted by Paul  on  10/22/09  at  05:24 PM

Hulu doesn’t create the content. Therefore they don’t spend money on the creation of the shows? How can they charge for something they’re not creating?


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