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CrimsonandCreamForever
10/23/2009, 11:21 AM
Hulu's Free Glory Days Are Officially Numbered

Hulu, at the behest of its co-parent News Corp, is going to start charging for content in 2010. This is not so good, this here news.

Here's the money quote from NewsCorpian Chase Carey, so there's no confusion:

It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online. I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. 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

An optimist might interpret this as a move toward tiered access, or even the decidedly good addition of paid premium content, like HBO and Showtime. But read carefully:

It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online

It doesn't get any less premium than broadcast content, which is exactly what Carey says we'll soon be paying for—sometime in 2010, he supposes. (Though to be fair, there's a scrap of reassurance later in the same article: "not all content on Hulu would be behind a pay wall." Cool?) This is extra-extra-foreboding next to last week's statements about a paid Hulu from Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, highlighted by TVBizwire: "That's not an if," he said "that's a when." It was fun while it lasted, I guess.

On a totally unrelated note, here are some neat articles, for pleasure reading!

Update: Reader Frank pinged Hulu about the issue, and got this not-quite-specific-enough-to-contradict-Carey's-statements response:

Don't worry, Hulu's mission has always been to help people find and enjoy the world's premium, professionally produced content. We continue to believe that the ad-supported, free service is the one that resonates most with the largest group of users and any possible new business models would serve to complement our
existing offering.

Thanks,

Betina Chan-Martin
Hulu

It's a purposely vague reassurance, but a definitive, public "we're not going to charge you for what is currently free" statement would be awfully easy to make, and would quell the concerns of people like Frank. Hint: They haven't made it. [Broadcasting Cable via TVBizwire]


Send an email to John Herrman, the author of this post, at [email protected]. http://gizmodo.com/5387909/hulus-free-glory-days-are-officially-numbered

Really, I shouldn't be too surprised about this, but that was kind of the draw to Hulu in the first place... the free part.

Is the advertising revenue not enough to pay the bills over there? It's not like they even have to produce new content, that's all up to the networks.

If the shows Hulu basically pirates off the TV networks' sites remain free, will Hulu make any money selling subscriptions? Or will those network shows no longer be free?

Boomer.....
10/23/2009, 11:32 AM
They have already started limiting the number of episodes that each show you can watch. I think they can only have 5 episodes of a show at a time.

iwannabelikesam
10/23/2009, 11:35 AM
It will fail if they start charging.

And why does News Corp get to make the decisions, they only own 27% of it. ABC and NBC would have had to be in on the decision, too.

ptschris
10/23/2009, 01:44 PM
sad

bluedogok
10/23/2009, 08:38 PM
http://gizmodo.com/5387909/hulus-free-glory-days-are-officially-numbered

Really, I shouldn't be too surprised about this, but that was kind of the draw to Hulu in the first place... the free part.

Is the advertising revenue not enough to pay the bills over there? It's not like they even have to produce new content, that's all up to the networks.

If the shows Hulu basically pirates off the TV networks' sites remain free, will Hulu make any money selling subscriptions? Or will those network shows no longer be free?
No, the ad revenue hasn't been enough and the networks are the ones pushing this because their business models are fading because of falling ad revenue.

ARS Techinca - Hulu to charge for content, but needs to sweeten the deal (http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/10/hulu-will-have-to-add-benefits-if-it-wants-to-start-charging.ars).

After all, most of media would prefer the Tivo to be legislated out of existence, here is a Canadian perspective ARS Technica - Copyright collective: free format and time-shifting never OK (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/copyright-collective-free-format-time-shifting-never-ok.ars).

iwannabelikesam
10/31/2009, 09:12 AM
Will Hulu stop being free? In a word, no.


Contrary to widespread web reports, the wildly popular TV and movies streaming website Hulu is not planning to start charging for all its content — although you would certainly be forgiven for thinking so. On Oct. 21, a high-ranking exec. at News Corp., which owns Hulu along with NBC Universal and Disney, told a trade conference that “a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of [Hulu’s] content,” positing that the site could start charging as early as 2010. That was enough to get the web all Twitterpated about Hulu’s entire beloved catalog falling behind a dreaded paywall.

A source close to Hulu, however, tells EW that the site remains steadfastly committed to free content, explaining that any possible subscription or pay-per-view service has no set timeline and would only build upon what Hulu offers, not replace it. Of course, this isn’t the first time an executive from News Corp. (like, say, chairman Rupert Murdoch) has openly speculated about getting people to pay for at least some stuff on Hulu — and why wouldn’t they? Media companies were built in the 20th century by collecting money from a variety of sources and audiences — ads on broadcast TV, box office ticket sales, premium cable subscription fees, DVD purchases — so it makes sense that they would pursue the same strategy for the 21st century. Of course, given how swiftly the web masses react to even a hint that they’d actually have to pay for something on the internet, pretty much any venture in that direction in this brave, new, digital-only world is going to be an exercise in taking a step onto a vast sheet of ice and hoping it doesn’t crack wide open.


http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/10/28/will-hulu-stop-being-free-in-a-word-no/

SoonerLaw09
10/31/2009, 09:26 AM
I don't get this, really. It happens every time there's a new media technology. All the corporate bigwigs flip out over possibly losing money, even though nobody knows where it's going yet. Maybe just once they'd try to be proactive and work with the tech, rather than against it.

Now if they want to make the stuff on hulu commercial free, then I can see how they would charge for that. But if not, it's no different than a rerun on broadcast/cable. So why charge for it?

StoopTroup
10/31/2009, 09:26 AM
I don't even know what Hulu was....I thought it must deserve it's own copycat thread. :D

adoniijahsooner
10/31/2009, 09:56 AM
If they start charging for hulu, then it will go the way of napster. I will never pay to watch Fringe, Supernatural, and the countless other shows that I can watch for free on the non-cable networks.

yermom
10/31/2009, 11:05 AM
if they charge to not see commercials or to see full seasons, i can see it working

i can't imagine HBO and SHO getting in on it. who would get HBO if you could watch Big Love or True Blood on Hulu? who would pay for both?

yermom
10/31/2009, 11:06 AM
I don't get this, really. It happens every time there's a new media technology. All the corporate bigwigs flip out over possibly losing money, even though nobody knows where it's going yet. Maybe just once they'd try to be proactive and work with the tech, rather than against it.

Now if they want to make the stuff on hulu commercial free, then I can see how they would charge for that. But if not, it's no different than a rerun on broadcast/cable. So why charge for it?

it's kinda tough to find a rerun anymore...

SoonerLaw09
10/31/2009, 12:56 PM
it's kinda tough to find a rerun anymore...

F'rinstance, Fox has decided that they will air reruns during November sweeps. But then in December they are running back-to-back new episodes, of Dollhouse, for one. House MD is also going the same way.

It does seem like there are less reruns, tho. The networks have gone to mid-season replacements and shows that only run Fall or Spring. Or they throw some reality crap in during the downtime. I guess it figures with DVRs taking over.

Hey, here's an idea: how about branding Hulu as the "new rerun"?