Hulu May Begin Charging Fees Next Year
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Hulu, Streaming, Video, NBC, Universal | Themes: The Internet, Software
Hulu viewers may be required to fork out fees for the video streaming service in 2010.
Wednesday News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey spoke at the Broadcasting & Cable OnScreen summit, revealing it was time that the industry received payment for broadcasting online content. The news shouldn't be surprising, as Hollywood and television networks currently scramble for revenue thanks to piracy and changing viewer habits.
“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content," Carey said. "I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”
So when does Hulu kick in the paid subscriptions? According to this blog, Carey wasn't sure, making the comment that he's only attended one Hulu board meeting since signing on with News Corp. However, Carey took an educated guess and figured 2010 would be the likely candidate. He's not convinced that charging for every video on Hulu is the answer, but perhaps a Hulu mobile service or "specially-created content and TV previews" would be ideal.
With that said, free content isn't necessarily ruled out. But that may change if Comcast wins its bid to purchase a majority interest in NBC Universal. With Comcast planning to expand its own streaming service in the near future, it may cause a conflict with Hulu. Still, with the negotiations currently in the early stages, that's merely speculation.
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Well then, I'll just have to go to the other million free sites that host ALL shows and not just the few special networks hulu does, with the same if not better quality and no stupid ad inserts.
Headline to shortly be followed by....."Hulu files for bankruptcy".
Headline shortly after that...."Hulu gets federal financing to keep it going during the bankruptcy process"
Who would pay to watch tv online? Only reason I watch tv online is to catch a show I missed. If I didn't watch it online, I wouldn't watch the show at all. If I wanted to pay for a tv show, I'd buy the dvd set.
Someone else will get something free going again and take the spot light. Otherwise the bittorrents will be in full demand like they are not already. Its ashame, I purchased Playon to stream this and netflix to my ps3 and it was nice being able to watch 1980's HE-MAN
OR you would buy a dvr with the money you saved and record it!
Stupid how they are wanting to charge for something like hulu.. I mean they already put like 3 - 4 adds in a 30 minute show..
The only way I would pay for Hulu is if they offered a lot more content such as complete season of all current shows. If I could watch any episode of my favorite shows such as the Simpsons or Family Guy on demand I would consider paying for something like that. Hulu right now is not worth a monthly fee. If the money they generate from advertising is not enough then I don't want their service.
So will abc, nbc, fox, and cbs remove all of the free content on there individual websites?
pay model=fail bye bye hulu.
So I guess I have to start really using my dvr.....
Hey, but my utorrent is still free and works great.
“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content," Carey said. "I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”
what an ass hole make it sound liek this is a great thing pftt
Point being hulu already ahs advertising so this is BULLSHIT, if theyw ant to charge they better loose teh fucking ads on thier videos
Sure you can make us pay Hulu...when you up your quality. 480p w/ commercials just doesn't do it for a monthly fee. Oh and I better see ALL seasons of the shows on there. Not just 1 or 2.
Whenever they have a DVR-type system and HD quality to compete with the other commercial offerings on satellite and cable, they might be an option.
They offer neither at this time.
Hulu is using the drug dealer's marketing plan: Get a bunch of idiots hooked, then charge them for a fix. I did find something hilarious in this article:
No, it is because these assholes are only putting out horrible, useless shit. The television and movie industry both seem to have reached a plateau, similar to the music industry. They pour out horrid bullshit and cry when people steal it. Most people that pirate music and videos would not pay for the content they are downloading.
I wouldn't mind paying for Hulu if it was accompanied by the ads being removed. If the ads stay, though, no one will buy it.
That's actually an interesting concept. They could have both. Free service with ads, or pay to have them removed. The same content should be availible to both sets of users, though.
WTF is Hulu?
Free services is what the internet is all about. Unless you are providing something really, really good, people just won't pay for it. That's why most people are ok with minimal ads to cover costs (although the ads on here are starting to drive me crazy, dropping down and covering articles, and popping up everywhere...but I digress).
they will go out of business if they do this.
It is very easy for people to download tv shows for free and with out the ads. but they move to hulu because it is free but ad supported but instant on demand.
I pay for cable tv and have DVR and get the same shows on the DVR the only problem is I like watching tv while using the computer and I like all of the sound to come through my headphones. with hulu I can do this which is more convenient, but I have no problem with grabbign a small snack then taking some time off to sit in front of the tv and watch the recorded tv show on the dvr (with the added benefit of the content not being a week behind like hulu in many cases and I can skip commercials)
compared to what I have, hulu is not worth it.
there online and there many sites offering free viewing of tv shows. you cant charge for tv shows and not even give the quality and promptness of the free services. if you want to charge for something, it has to be better than the free stuff
a week late and 480p is not value when there charging for the service. especially when many other sites and tv groups are offering the same shows commerical free and 1080I (which is encoded in 1080p to get rid of the interlacing, and ready for watching within an hour of the show on tv ending)
if hulu wants to charge then they need to increase their quality to at least 720P and have the shows available for watching the moment they become available on tv and also keep all episodes up (because their current assholeness is removing the shows after a few weeks so if you want to get into a new show, you cant, for example there many shows that I want to start watching but I cant because hulu only has like 5-10 episode of the show that has over 70 episodes
hulu is just becoming greedy.
a better option will be a subscription where you pay a monthly fee and get to watch the shows with no ads
WHAT A CO-INK-E-DINK, IM GONNA STOP USING HULU AROUND THE SAME TIME!!
Good luck getting me to pay for video service that is not in HD.
As has been stated above, the only way I'd pay for HULU is if the ads were removed. But being greedy bastards (as most media types are) they'll want to have their cake and eat it too. Morons.
For Hulu to have a monthly fee, they better up their quality and content. 480p streams and only portions of a season is not worth $$$, hell its barely worth sitting through the ads right now as it is. For a fee, I would expect more access to content, newer movies, higher quality, and simultaneous releases for a show on the day it airs.
This is Comcast's fault. Where is the EU with an antitrust suit when you need them.
This is the death of HULU for me.
"But that may change if Comcast wins its bid to purchase a majority interest in NBC Universal."
As for Comcast, How I feel about that great company..............
Goodbye Hulu, you had a nice run. I can't imagine anyone paying for their service. I wouldn't pay even $1 a month.
I would pay for hulu. IF these conditions are met.
No adds.
All seasons.
If not just to save me time from having to find them, and some of the old shows are hard to find, and when you do they have very few seeds.
Why the HELL would we pay for that!? It's friggin' ad supported! I'll just watch it all on the station's official websites... they'll still be free.
And here I thought Hulu was a good company...
Ahh so they get us hooked and then start charging big suprise.
Unless they start offering full seasons much like netflix instant viewing we will find other ways to catch up on our shows. Hulu works great to centralize network tv reruns. It eliminates the need for the variety of propriety software that range from Good but annoying (ABC) to Terrible (ABC FAMILY and TBS).
Much more value must be added to the service if they plan to charge for it.
I should also add that Hulu needs to improve their buffering system... (netflix has this down to a science and hardly ever has issues, but sometimes hulu can get buffer freeze. Additionally quality of the videos must improve.
In the short term to make it up to spec with competing services it will be very expensive.
Greedy bastards.