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Tag: Hulu Plus

  • Walking Dead Spinoff Will Land Exclusively on Hulu

    Walking Dead Spinoff Will Land Exclusively on Hulu

    When the first season of AMC’s upcoming Walking Dead companion series Fear the Walking Dead wraps up, the only place you’ll be able to stream it online is Hulu.

    Hulu has announced a major partnership with AMC Networks that will give it exclusive SVOD rights to “new and upcoming primetime scripted comedy and drama series” from networks like AMC, IFC, BBC, Sundance, and WE tv.

    “Hulu announced a groundbreaking, multi-year deal with AMC Networks Inc. for the exclusive SVOD rights to new and upcoming primetime scripted comedy and drama series from AMC, IFC, BBC America, Sundance TV and WE tv. The new agreement will make Hulu the exclusive streaming home to the highly anticipated companion series to The Walking Dead, titled: Fear the Walking Dead. Through the deal, Hulu will – over time – become the SVOD home to a diverse and comprehensive collection of AMC Networks Inc.-produced content,” said the company. “Hulu will also become the streaming home for a significant number of films from the IFC Films collection.”

    Fear the Walking Dead falls into that category.

    Of course, “new and upcoming” means that Hulu will not be the exclusive home for currently-airing and past AMC hits like The Walking Dead, Mad Men, or Breaking Bad. Fear the Walking Dead has a lot of buzz surrounding it, due to the immense popularity of The Walking Dead, so it’s a nice get for Hulu.

    But the true value of this deal depends a lot on the quality of AMC’s new shows. The better and more popular they are, the cooler this is for Hulu.

    Hulu scored another big content grab – and it cost them a pretty penny. Hulu will now be the exclusive home for the entire Seinfeld collection – a deal that cost them upwards of $180 million.

    Fear the Walking Dead is due out this summer.

    Image via AMC_TV, Twitter

  • CSI Heads to Hulu in First Streaming Deal for Show

    CSI Heads to Hulu in First Streaming Deal for Show

    Beginning in early April, you’ll be able to stream over 300 episodes of CBS’ long-running crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on Hulu Plus.

    This is the first time that CSI has ever been licensed to a streaming video on-demand service.

    “CSI is one of the most popular television franchises in the world and we could not be more thrilled to make all episodes available to Hulu subscribers,” said Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Hulu. “This deal not only represents a huge growth in our offering of premium content, but it also represents an expansion in our partnership with CBS. We look forward to working with CBS to continue making some of the best shows on television available for viewers to stream on more screens in the future.”

    Hulu will add full past seasons ahead of new series premieres.

    Hulu and CBS first partnered up in 2012, giving the SVOD company over 2,600 episodes of current and classic CBS content. Last year, the two expanded that deal.

    “The original series from the most successful franchise in television history has been licensed to the SVOD market for the first time,” said Scott Koondel, Chief Corporate Content Licensing Officer for CBS Corporation. “This agreement and previous deals with our partners at Hulu further validates how well CBS procedural dramas perform on subscription services. And, at a time when the CBS Television Network is getting ready to premiere the next generation of the CSI franchise with CSI: Cyber, it’s very exciting to make available all 14 seasons of the show that started it all to Hulu subscribers and CSI’s passionate fan base.”

    Image via CSI, Facebook

  • Hulu Makes Deal For Discovery Content

    Hulu Makes Deal For Discovery Content

    Hulu announced that it has entered into a partnership with Discovery which will see it become the exclusive subscription video on-demand home to Deadliest Catch. It’s the first ong-form content partnership between the two.

    The agreement will also see Hulu getting various shows from Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science, Destination America and original Spanish-language content from Discovery en Español. Hulu said in a blog post:

    Along with Deadliest Catch, we are also adding titles from Discovery’s U.S. portfolio to Hulu over the next year. That includes popular series such as MythBusters, The Little Couple, Say Yes to the Dress, Treehouse Masters and How It’s Made.

    Episodes will become available to stream on Hulu beginning January 1, 2015 – just in time to kick-off the New Year and get hooked on Discovery’s library of premium programming.

    Hulu has been making a lot of significant content announcements including that it will revive the recently canceled Selfie, and host original shows from Amy Poehler and Jason Reitman.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Plus Might Have Fewer Ads in the Future

    Hulu Plus Might Have Fewer Ads in the Future

    In that’s probably a good idea news, Hulu is considering chilling out a little bit when it comes to ads on Hulu Plus.

    Any subscriber (or former subscriber) of Hulu Plus knows the soul-crushing despair that comes with paying $7.99 a month for a service and still having to sit through ads. It’s a terrible pain in the ass. For those people, relief could be on the way – at least a little bit.

    The NY Post is reporting that Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins is concerned about the ad load on Hulu Plus and is seriously thinking about doing something about it. From the Post:

    CEO Mike Hopkins, who took the helm in May, is considering cutting back the number of ads that appear on Hulu Plus, the $7.99-a-month paid tier of the online streaming service, The Post has learned.

    While no decision has been made, an executive close to the company said Hulu and its media partners are “always looking at a variety of ways to create the best possible experience for our viewers and advertisers including reducing the ad load.”

    The Post also points out just how much Hulu Plus has gone overboard with the in-content advertising, noting a comScore report that showed Hulu showed users an average of 82.3 ads a month. By comparison, YouTube only showed users 32.3 on average. Sure, the content viewing habits associated with Hulu Plus and YouTube are different – mainly time on video – but that’s still a pretty staggering number considering how many ads are all over YouTube.

    So, with all the ads on Hulu Plus, why do people pay for it? The reality is that for a fan of network television, Hulu Plus is really the only streaming service that’s quick on the draw with new episodes. Hulu has film collections (notably a great selection of Criterion stuff), but it’s the hyper-current TV offerings that set Hulu apart from other services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

    But Hulu Plus is beginning to turn a corner – or is at least attempting to.

    Hulu is making originals – just like Netflix and Amazon. They haven’t received a ton of attention, but that could change pretty soon. Not only has Hulu picked up the fan-favorite but short-lived Party Down, but the company has also greenlit a new series based on Stephen King’s 11/22/63.

    As Hulu Plus looks to bat in the big leagues, the concern, apart from monetization, must be user acquisition and retention. It’s hard to sit through 82 ads a month, pay $7.99, and feel like something isn’t a little messed up.

  • Hulu Picks Up The Hilarious ‘Party Down’

    Hulu Picks Up The Hilarious ‘Party Down’

    Hulu announced that it has acquired streaming rights to comedy series Party Down. Starting on Friday, all episodes of the show will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu Plus. The first five episodes will be available for a limited time on the free version of Hulu.

    Party Down ran for only two seasons on Starz from 2009 – 2010. Despite getting largely positive reviews, it just didn’t bring in the ratings. Many (like myself) became fans during the show’s run on Netflix. Netflix ended up losing Starz content in early 2012 after negotiations fell apart, and Party Down vanished from the service.

    Now, the show has a chance to find yet another audience. The cast alone should be enough to entice a number of people unfamiliar with the show. It includes Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan, Megan Mullally, and Martin Starr, and Ryan Hansen in addition to numerous familiar guest stars.

    Hulu says in its announcement:

    That means soon you’ll be able to watch all episodes of the cult comedy that celebrates mediocre employment and stars a cast of Hollywood comedic all-stars including Emmy® Award nominees Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) and Jane Lynch (Glee), as well as Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers), Ken Marino (Marry Me, Burning Love), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley, Knocked Up) and Emmy® Award-winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Fame).

    Like Netflix, Hulu is working on building up its comedy offerings. It also recently acquired exclusive streaming rights to South Park.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Gains Exclusive Streaming Rights To ‘Manhattan’ For Plus

    Hulu Gains Exclusive Streaming Rights To ‘Manhattan’ For Plus

    Hulu is making moves to crank up its exclusive content offerings as competition from rivals like Netflix, Amazon, and Yahoo continues to accelerate.

    Today, Hulu announced that it has become the exclusive streaming home to Manhattan, a drama that airs on WGN America. Starting today, new episodes of season one will be available on Hulu Plus the day after they air on WGN. WGN will air them on Sunday nights (as usual), and Hulu will get them on Mondays.

    All thirteen episodes of the first season will be available on Hulu Plus, and the five most recently broadcast episodes will appear on regular Hulu for free after a three-day delay.

    Hulu’s Head of Content Craig Erwich writes on the Hulu blog:

    “Manhattan” may have just premiered last night, but it is already gathering acclaim with both critics and fans alike. That’s why it was no question for us to commit to the series before a single episode even aired to the public – making it the first time Hulu has stricken such a deal. Our partners at Lionsgate (“Deadbeat”), Skydance Television and Tribune Studios, and WGN America brought “Manhattan” to life and we are thrilled to be able to work with them to make Hulu the exclusive streaming home for the series.

    The compelling drama created and written by Sam Shaw (“Masters of Sex”), and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”), follows the real-life mission and the greatest race against time to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. I was hooked after just the first episode and am thrilled to be able to make the series available to the Hulu audience.

    A couple weeks ago, Hulu announced that it is also now the exclusive online streaming home of South Park.

    Here are some more titles recently added to Hulu and Hulu Plus.

    Image via Hulu

  • Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus (Catatafish’s Riddle Will Soon Be Told)

    Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus (Catatafish’s Riddle Will Soon Be Told)

    As recently reported, Hulu has scooped up South Park for its subscription service Hulu Plus. But that’s not all that’s new with the service.

    Hulu sent us the most recent list of new and upcoming content for Hulu and Hulu Plus. Here you go:

    New on Hulu this week

    “The Hotwives of Orlando” – SERIES PREMIERE – “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage. (Tuesday, July 15)

    Summer of “South Park” – Hulu is now the exclusive home for all seasons of ‘South Park.’ All summer long, every episode of the series will be available and Hulu will be the exclusive streaming destination for season 18 when it launches on September 24th.

    “Neighbours” – ALL NEW – Lauren gets the truth out of Bailey about his drinking and stealing, and tries to persuade Paige to return to work. Toadie and Sonya struggle to come to terms with Callum’s absence and Amber starts lying to Josh about her feelings for Daniel. Susan can’t believe her eyes when she sees Karl heading toward the hotel with Paula Abdul (guest starring as herself). One of the world’s most popular television programs, “Neighbours” has been a smash hit since it first aired in Australia in 1985. (Friday, July 18)

    Special guest Liv Tyler on “The High Road with Mario Batali” (sponsored by Hyundai) Mario Batali takes viewers on a journey to some of New York City’s most fascinating gems with some of its most fascinating people. Available on Hulu and Hulu Plus. (Thursday, July 17)

    “The Only Way Is Essex” – Season Premiere – Welcome to the glamorous world of Essex, where viewers get a chance to delve into the real lives of some of the most gorgeous people around, in a truly innovative living soap. The characters featured in this show are real people living their real lives. Viewers will see the tears, the tantrums and the triumphs just like a real soap opera. (Saturday, July 19)

    Emmy Nominated for Outstanding Miniseries “Luther” – Season 3 Premiere – On a moral crusade, with only his convictions for company, John Luther (Idris Elba) is a deeply troubled man, a philosophical cop possessed by the insoluble problem of evil and justice in a Godless world, who gets pulled to the very edge of temptation.

    Summer Hulu Originals Premieres

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two – From the comedic minds of Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) comes the return of “The Awesomes” with many of their funny friends in tow, including returning voices, Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, and newcomers, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two – Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild West town of Great Bend, Kansas, featuring Lehr, Bob Clendenin (“Cougar Town”), Allison Dunbar (“The Sopranos”) and executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via YouTube

  • Hulu Scoops Up South Park For Subscription Service

    Hulu Scoops Up South Park For Subscription Service

    Hulu announced that it is now the exclusive home for all seasons of South Park. If you’ve grown to love South Park Studios, the show’s website, which has offered every episode for years now, you’re in for some changes.

    Hulu and South Park Studios announced a multi-year licensing agreement that will see all South Park episodes coming to Hulu Plus. The bad news for fans is that Hulu Plus is a paid service, whereas all episodes have always been free on the South Park Studios site.

    All episodes will be free on Hulu before the start of South Park’s 18th season on September 24th, at which point Hulu Plus subscribers will have exclusive access. Once the season premieres, Hulu Plus users will have access to each new episode the day after it airs. Also at that point, both Hulu and the South Park Studios site will have a revolving selection of free episodes available – a major step down from the entire catalog as historically offered on the South Park site.

    Here’s what Matt Parker and Trey Stone had to say about it (yep, that’s how they’re named on the new Hulu-powered South Park blog – not sure if it’s just a mistake or if they’re trolling us):

    “This is a natural partnership for us. We are excited that the entire library will be available on Hulu and that the best technology around will power South Park Digital Studios.”

    That does indeed sound like something Matt Parker and Trey Stone might say.

    Hulu’s SVP and Head of Content Craig Erwich writes in a blog post:

    This show has revolutionized TV and it has consistently remained a top 10 most-watched show on Hulu.

    Here’s a look at some more recent additions to Hulu.

    Image via YouTube

  • Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Hulu sent us a list of new and upcoming content for Hulu and Hulu Plus for this week and beyond as it heads into next week with the the premiere of original series East Los High and its Summer TCA presentation. It also has some international shows premiering on from its Latino and Anime partners.

    Here’s the list.

    “El Tiempo Entre Costuras” (“The Time in Between”) – A Spanish miniseries based on the book of the same name. A young seamstress’s life takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself pregnant, alone, and penniless during the Spanish Civil War. (Friday, July 4)

    “Sailor Moon Crystal” –Based on Naoko Takeuchi’s legendary manga series, Sailor Moon Crystal retells the story of Sailor Moon as she searches for her fellow Sailor Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal to stop the dark forces of Queen Beryl. (Saturday, July 5)

    “Sword Art Online II” –Based on the light novel by written by Reki Kawahara, the Sword Art Online series continues into its second season. One year after the SAO incident, Kirito is approached by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Department, Seijiro Kikuoka, with a request to enter other VRMMO called Gun Gale Online (GGO). (Saturday, July 5)

    “Jenni Rivera: La Vida De Una Diva”– A 10-episode miniseries on the life and death of Tejana superstar Jenni Rivera. (Wednesday, July 2)

    Summer Hulu Originals Premieres

    July 9 – “East Los High” Season Two – Hulu’s hit high school drama featuring an all Latino cast returns for a second season as dance and scandal fill the halls of East Los High.

    July 15 – “The Hotwives of Orlando” – “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage.

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two – From the comedic minds of Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) comes the return of “The Awesomes” with many of their funny friends in tow, including returning voices, Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, and newcomers, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two – Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild West town of Great Bend, Kansas, featuring Lehr, Bob Clendenin (“Cougar Town”), Allison Dunbar (“The Sopranos”) and executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Gets More Movies Through New Magnolia Pictures Partnership

    Hulu Gets More Movies Through New Magnolia Pictures Partnership

    Hulu just announced a new partnership with Magnolia Pictures, which will see various movies titles come to the streaming service.

    Naturally, as the latest awesome episode of Game of Thrones was directed by Neil Marshall, Hulu is talking up his film Centurion as one of the main attractions in addition to the cult hit Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil.

    Griffin Gmelich writes on the Hulu blog:

    In our continued efforts to bring new and exciting content to our users, we are proud to announce that Magnolia Pictures will expand the breadth of premium entertainment offerings on Hulu and Hulu Plus through its Magnolia and Magnet brands. Magnolia Pictures is part of a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain, production company 2929 Productions and high-definition cable networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies.

    If you’re a Hulu Plus subscriber, look out for my favorite movie of 2010: “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.” It’s hard to pull off a film that straddles both horror and comedy, but – with the help of Tyler Labine’s rare type of talent – this film quickly reached cult status. It was Tyler’s memorable role as Dale Dobson in this bifurcated genre and iconic film that made him the perfect star for our Hulu Original, “Deadbeat.”

    Other films named include The Girlfriend Experience, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Freakonomics, A Place at the Table, Food, Inc., Marley, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and 13 Assassins.

    Netflix has had most or all of these titles for some time.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu/Hulu Plus Get ‘Breaking Bad’ Remake, A Fonzie Cartoon & More

    Hulu/Hulu Plus Get ‘Breaking Bad’ Remake, A Fonzie Cartoon & More

    Hulu sent us a list of content for “June and beyond” for Hulu and Hulu Plus. You’ll need to be a Hulu Plus subscriber to watch it, but included is the Spanish-language Breaking Bad remake Metastasis.

    If anyone watches this, please let me know how close it sticks to the original.

    Here’s a list of current TV highlights:

    ABC: Celebrity Wife Swap finale, Mistresses premiere

    NBC: New episodes of America’s Got Talent, Night Shift, Hollywood Game Night, Crossbones Last Comic Standing, and two episodes of Undateable, Miss USA

    FOX: Cosmos finale; New episodes of MasterChef, 24, Riot, I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, Gang Related

    CW: Premiere of Famous in 12

    Viacom: The Daily Show Colbert Report, @midnight

    A&E: New episodes of Killer Kids, Little Women, Devious Maids, Longmire premiere, Big Smo premiere

    Additional Partners: Geek and Sundry’s Spooked, Univision’s Breaking Bad adaptation Metastasis

    Movies include:

    Rocky 1-5
    Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters II
    The Pianist
    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    The Muppets Take Manhattan
    Men in Black
    Bruno
    Desperado
    A League of Their Own
    Quicksilver
    Radio Flyer
    Multiplicity
    Who’s Harry Crumb
    Dances With Wolves
    The Adventures of Milo and Otis
    Devil in a Blue Dress
    Get on the Bus
    Meatballs Part II
    Guarding Tess
    Husbands and Wives
    Lonely Hearts
    Moscow on the Hudson
    Nothing in Common
    Punchline
    Side Out
    Stan Lee’s Mutants, Monsters and Marvels
    Thank God It’s Friday
    The Terminator
    Bram Stoker’s Dracula
    Brokeback Mountain
    Life
    Manhattan
    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
    Ali
    Out of Sight
    Patch Adams
    Gloria
    Dante’s Peak
    Click,
    Barbershop
    Hannibal
    October Sky
    Gomorrah
    4 Months,3 Weeks, 2 Days
    20 Feet Below
    Fearless Dragons,
    The Last Emperor
    Snoopy, Come Home
    Sabrina Down Under
    The Cat in the Hat
    Dr. Seuss on the Loose
    A Boy Named Charlie Brown
    The Lorax

    June 13th: The Real Housewives franchise in its entirety on Hulu Plus.

    June 15th: Rev.: Season 3, with all six episodes available on Hulu Plus, and a weekly rollout on Hulu.com.

    June 20th: Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Flipping Out, The Millionaire Matchmaker.

    Also in June: 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, Webster, Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, Young Indiana Jones

    Yes, Fonz and the Happy Days Gang is a thing (naturally, it’s a cartoon in which the Fonz has a talking dog and a time machine).

    Sailor Moon is also available.

    Next month will see the premieres of Hulu originals East Los High: Season 2, Hotwives of Orlando, The Awesomes, and Quick Draw.

    Image via Hulu

  • Here’s What’s Coming To Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Here’s What’s Coming To Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Hulu is sharing a list of show launches for the coming weeks and months. Each week, we give you a look at what’s coming to Netflix, so here’s a look at one of its rivals for a change.

    Speaking of Netflix, Hulu this week announced that it has added Jenny Wall as SVP, Head of Marketing. She previously led the global creative team at Netflix.

    Hulu’s list includes Jim Henson’s “Doozers,” “The Next Step,” , “Rev.’s, “East Los High,” “Hotwives of Orlando,” “The Awesomes,” “Quick Draw,” and more.

    Here’s the list:

    May 16 – Jim Henson’s “Doozers:” On April 25, Hulu debuted its first original series for Hulu Kids, “Doozers.” The animated preschool series that encourages children to design, create and innovate. Inspired by the wildly popular characters from the classic Henson series “Fraggle Rock,” the entrepreneurial “Pod Squad,” Spike, Molly Bolt, Flex and Daisy Wheel, put ideas into action and take on challenges integrating a groundbreaking design thinking curriculum, which is part of an overall STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) initiative. “Doozers” is available exclusively on Hulu Kids, Hulu’s hub just for kids featuring current-season hits and past favorites such as “Fraggle Rock,” “Pokemon,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Thomas and Friends,” “Caillou” and more at http://www.hulu.com/kids.

    May 28 – “The Next Step:” Dance like everybody’s watching. This reality-style teen drama follows the lives of a group of dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio as they attempt to win the regional dance championships. The tightly knit team of dancers train, rehearse and hang out together within a well-established social order led by star dancer Emily and the E-Girls, a band of dancers who are used to running the studio. A new girl joins the team, challenging alliances and social balance of the studio as the regional championships quickly approach.

    June 1 – “Fugget About It” Season Two: The outrageous animated sitcom about the misadventures of Jimmy Falcone returns for its second season only on Hulu and Hulu Plus. The former New York mob boss settles into his lot in life in the witness protection in Regina, Saskatchewan.

    June 15 – “Rev.” Season Three: “Rev.” is a BAFTA award-winning comedy series following the enormous daily frustrations and moral conflicts of an inner-city vicar Rev. Adam Smallbone, played by co-creator Tom Hollander (“Pirates of the Caribbean”). Big questions are asked of Smallbone and his wife Alex, played by double BAFTA-award winning Olivia Colman (“Broadchurch”), as they adjust to life as new parents at St. Saviour’s. A host of new and returning characters join the band of lost but loveable misfits in the parish, including Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”) and Joanna Scanlan (“The Thick of It”). “Rev.” is directed by Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty”), and is a Big Talk production (“Spaced,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”) made available on Hulu and Hulu Plus by BBC Worldwide North America. http://www.hulu.com/rev

    Summer Premieres:

    July 9 – “East Los High” Season Two: Welcome back to “East Los High”! The Hulu Original Series returns hotter than ever as romance, sex, dance and mystery fill the East Los High hallways with a new cast of students. Ceci returns to coach the Bomb Squad and struggles to take the unruly dance team to state championships. And get ready as this new class at East Los High finds themselves in unexpected love triangles and true-to-life situations, a scandalous turns of events makes it another breathtaking and suspenseful year at this inner-city high school!

    July 15 – “Hotwives of Orlando:” “Hotwives of Orlando” is a comedy series that pays homage to the “Real Housewives” franchise that people love to hate but secretly love. “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, and the ladies who live there. Watch as these drunk, horny, rich, horrible, women fight, gossip, cheat, backstab and weave-pull their way into your hearts. Starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage.

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two: The Awesomes is an animated show for adults that combines the thrills of comic book storytelling with the irreverent and inspired comedy that is the hallmark of show co-creators Seth Meyers (“SNL”) and Michael Shoemaker (“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”). It is the story about the greatest superhero team in history, The Awesomes, and what happens after all the most powerful members leave. The team is led by the possibly under-qualified Professor Doctor Awesome, voiced by Meyers, who is determined to bring these funny-if-flawed superheroes to glory. Meyers and Shoemaker called upon their many friends in the comedy world to voice the characters, including some of “Saturday Night Live’s” most celebrated cast and alumni Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon. This first animated Hulu Original Series is executive produced by Meyers, Shoemaker, and Broadway Video.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two: “Quick Draw” is a comedy western set in 1875 centering on Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, who brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild west town of Great Bend, Kansas. Season two of the procedural western comedy starts off with a bang, literally, promising more laughs, romance and gun-slinging action. Cole Younger is back and badder than ever, but hot shot Hoyle aims to stop him. Deputy Eli (Nick Brown), saloon owner Honey Shaw (Allison Dunbar), outlaw Pearl Starr (Alexia Dox) and undertaker Vernon Shaw (Robert Clendenin) return. The series is co-created and executive produced by Nancy Hower and John Lehr (“10 Items or Less,” “Jailbait”) and co-executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    The following NBCU content is also coming to the service, though the dates are unknown so far):

    Keeping Up with the Kardashians
    Housewives (all franchises except DC)
    Top Chef and Top Chef Masters
    Flipping Out
    Millionaire Matchmaker

    Same for this CBS content:

    Happy Days
    Brady Bunch
    Touched by an Angel
    Wings
    7th Heaven
    Melrose Place

    Hulu recently announced free, full-episode mobile streaming.

    Image via Hulu

  • Cosby, Cybill And More Come To Hulu Plus

    Cosby, Cybill And More Come To Hulu Plus

    It’s almost the weekend and you’re looking for something to watch this weekend. You’ve already gone through all of The Cosby Show on Hulu Plus and you’re looking for your next fix of laugh track fueled family comedy. Well, Hulu has four new shows that you just might be interested in spending your weekend with.

    Hulu announced today that Cosby, A Different World, Grace Under Fire and Cybill join its library today for Hulu Plus subscribers. This is the first time these shows have been available on any streaming platform. They join the already expansive collection of Carsey-Werner titles already available on Hulu Plus.

    Here’s a brief synopsis of the four new shows being added:

    Behind the giggles, chortles and laughs, shows like “A Different World,” in addition to introducing us to style icon Dwayne Wayne, taught us how to shed juvenile fears and face adult challenges. “Cosby” showed us how to roll with the punches and lean on our families as we get older (in addition to making us wish Madeline Kahn was a series regular in our lives). Chuck Lorre’s “Grace Under Fire” and “Cybill“ were both shows that comically portrayed the tough realities of the non-nuclear family of the 90s with strong female leads with distinctive differences. Brett Butler’s blue-collar divorcee Grace had grit, while Cybill’s multi-divorcee, struggling actress had…well…just a smidge more grace.

    In other content acquisitions, Hulu announced in early February that it had obtained the rights to CBS TV’s extensive back catalog of shows, including Happy Days, Cheers and The Brady Bunch. Around the same time, Hulu Kids added a bunch of Pokemon content.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    In 2011, Hulu finally went international with its launch in Japan. Its Japanese branch was doing pretty for itself as well with last quarter’s financial results revealing that it had doubled its subscribers in the region since the beginning of 2013. Despite its successes, Hulu is getting rid of it.

    Hulu announced today that it will be selling its Japanese business to Nippon TV for an undisclosed sum. There’s no particular reason given for the sale, but it’s strongly hinted that Nippon TV offered Hulu a deal it couldn’t refuse.

    “Hulu launched in Japan less than three years ago, a first-of-its-kind subscription video on demand service in the market which has grown to 50 content partners, offering users more than 13,000 assets of TV dramas and movies across 90 million devices,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “We are very proud to have created a service that Nippon TV, the broadcast leader in Japan, sees as a strong asset.”

    It certainly makes a lot of sense for Nippon TV to take over Hulu Japan’s operations. It lets Hulu continue to exclusively focus on the U.S. market while Nippon TV gains an established foothold in the still growing digital content market of Japan.

    “In addition to terrestrial broadcasting and BS/CS broadcasting, Nippon TV is looking forward to succeeding Hulu’s business as a new path to deliver content through the Internet,” said Yoshio Okubo, President, Nippon TV. “Hulu’s sophisticated brand, wide content line-up, and its outstanding technology are very attractive. We feel a big potential in the brand and service Hulu has created.”

    Interestingly enough, Nippon TV won’t be changing Hulu Japan in any way as it has also licensed the Hulu name and its technology. In other words, Hulu Japan will still be around under its new owner. In even better news for Japanese subscribers, Hulu Japan will also be getting Nippon TV content in the near future.

    With this sale, Hulu is back to operating primarily in the United States. It will be interesting to see if it tries its hand at expansion again, or if it will just stick with its primary market. With competitors like Netflix expanding into Europe, however, Hulu might not be able to sit around if it wants to compete.

    Image via Hulu Japan

  • Hulu Plus Adds Thousands of Classic TV Episodes Thanks to Expanded CBS Deal

    Hulu Plus Adds Thousands of Classic TV Episodes Thanks to Expanded CBS Deal

    An expanded licensing agreement between CBS and Hulu will nearly double the current and classic CBS TV content available on the streaming service.

    The deal adds 2,600 new episodes to Hulu Plus’ content library, brining the total to just over 5,300 CBS TV episodes.

    Like I said, this deal covers multiple decades of classic television. Here’s just a sampling of the shows that are coming to Hulu Plus as part of this deal:

    Cheers, Happy Days, Taxi, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, and The Brady Bunch.

    “With the newly expanded CBS content library, Hulu Plus subscribers will be treated to some of the most significant shows ever seen on television,” said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins. “From ‘Happy Days’ to ‘Cheers’ and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond,’ these hit shows defined their eras, and we’re thrilled to offer full seasons to be enjoyed by new and loyal audiences anytime, anywhere.”

    Here’s more from Hulu:

    Viewers can discover some of the best shows of the 90s, including sitcoms like “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Wings,” beloved primetime soap “Melrose Place,” and hit family series full of valuable life lessons, “7th Heaven.”

    We’re also offering fantastic shows from the past decade, including award-winning series like Showtime’s “United States of Tara” and “The L Word,” hilarious coming-of-age sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris,” fan favorites “Ghost Whisperer,” “Jericho,” “Flashpoint” and “Ringer,” and reality shows “Undercover Boss” and “Australia’s Next Top Model.”

    As part of this expansion, there’s more content coming to Hulu Kids, including films starring timeless characters like Charlie Brown, Dr. Seuss, Puff the Magic Dragon and Strawberry Shortcake, among others.

    Speaking of that latter bit of content, Hulu recently added Sesame Street, SpongeBob, and a bunch more content for the kiddos.

    The announcement was made by new CEO Mike Hopkins, who was just named to his position back in October.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pokemon Animation Is Now On Hulu Kids

    Pokemon Animation Is Now On Hulu Kids

    Do you want to be the very best? Perhaps even the best there ever was? Well, you may be a little too old for your own Pokemon adventure, but your children can now follow the adventures of the never-aging Ash Ketchum and his merry band of Pokemon friends on Hulu Kids.

    That’s right – Hulu announced today that it has entered into an agreement with The Pokemon Company to air the Pokemon animated series and full length films on Hulu Kids. Stating today, Hulu Plus subscribers can watch the first season of Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl, all four parts of Pokemon Origins and Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai.

    If you were once or still are a fan of the Pokemon, you might want to grab your kid and watch the four part Pokemon Origins special. It’s a retelling of the story from Pokemon Red and Blue with Red as the main character. Sure, it’s a little weird hearing people refer to a young boy as Red, but nobody seems to question the pun that is Ash Ketchum. Besides, who doesn’t want to watch Charizard punch a Blastoise in the face?

    If you make your way through all of Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl and The Rise of Darkrai afterwards, Hulu’s got you covered. In the coming weeks and months, the service will be adding the following movies – Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions. My personal favorite among the three is the Arceus movie, but all three are quality entertainment for the little Pokemon trainer in your life.

    Following the movies, Hulu Plus will also add the first two episodes of Pokemon The Series: XY. This latest series introduces Ash to the France Kalos region and all the new Pokemon it contains.

    Oh, and if you don’t have Hulu Plus, you can still enjoy the Pokemon Origins special. You can also watch five episodes from Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl.

    Image via SlowkingGaming/YouTube

  • Netflix And The Like Gain Ground Against Premium TV Channels, Says Disputed Report

    Netflix And The Like Gain Ground Against Premium TV Channels, Says Disputed Report

    Update: HBO says the NPD report is incorrect, and that it’s not losing subscribers. Both HBO and Cinemax have shown “significant” growth over the past two years, according to the company. Meanwhile, NPD appears to have pulled the report.

    It appears that premium cable channels like HBO, Showtime and Starz are losing subscribers as online streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu Plus are gaining them.

    Research from the NPD Group has come out (via Variety) indicating that U.S. premium TV channel subscriptions declined by 6% From March 2012 to August 2013, while subscriptions to the streaming services grew by 4%.

    32% of homes in the U.S. had premium cable subscriptions while 27% had subscriptions to online services. According to NPD Group, Netflix leads these, but the others are seeing big growth.

    HBO has been making its online video service HBO Go more accessible. News of its arrival on Playstation consoles just came last week. It also recently gained Chromecast support. Still, you have to subscribe to the TV channel to access it, which remains a major barrier to much more significant growth for that.

    Netflix has certainly established itself as a major force in original content. Its shows have now won Emmys, a Golden Globe and a People’s Choice Award, and it now even has an original documentary nominated for an Oscar. The service has a ton more original content on the way over the next year.

    Image via Netflix

  • Hulu Will Make $1 Billion In 2013 Thanks To Its 5 Million Subscribers

    Hulu Will Make $1 Billion In 2013 Thanks To Its 5 Million Subscribers

    After a year in which it was almost sold, Hulu is doing better than ever thanks to the guidance of a new CEO and a stronger focus on new and original content. All of that has helped to catapult the video streaming service to new heights and it expects to pass a significant milestone before the end of the year.

    Hulu announced today that its business is doing better than ever and that it expects to bring in $1 billion in revenue before the year is over. It’s quite an increase from last year when the service only pulled in $695 million over the course of 2012.

    Hulu Will Make $1 Billion In 2013

    So, how is Hulu bringing in all that money? The main reason behind its continued success is that it keeps on adding more subscribers to Hulu Plus. In 2013, it reached 5 million subscribers – a significant number. Hulu attributes this rise in subscribers thanks to the numerous devices Hulu Plus is now on, including the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo 3DS, Chromecast and more.

    Hulu Will Make $1 Billion In 2013

    As Hulu Plus comes to more devices, we may very well see subscription numbers rise even more. After all, 50 percent of all Hulu Plus subscribers exclusively stream on devices, instead of via a Web browser. Over half of its video content is also viewed in the living room so there’s definitely a demand for Hulu Plus on devices that bring the viewing experience to the TV.

    Besides subscribers, Hulu was able to bring in $1 billion this year thanks to an increase in advertising. The service now boasts over 1,000 brands – a 15 percent increase over last year. This helps Hulu custom-tailor ads to viewers which leads to far more engagement. In fact, Hulu says that it streamed more than 1 billion ads in each quarter last year, and that viewers watched 50 minutes of content on average in Q4. That’s a lot of advertising, and as such, Hulu was number one in engagement among ad supported online video sties throughout all of 2013.

    Of course, all of this would mean absolutely nothing if it wasn’t for Hulu’s push for new and original content. Hulu notes that it’s the only place where people can watch current season content from five of the six largest U.S. broadcast networks and hosts seven out of the top 10 primetime TV shows. Aside from content from broadcasters, Hulu also aired over 20 original series with many performing incredibly well on the service.

    Oh, and as for Hulu Japan, it’s doing better than ever. The company notes that it has more than doubled the number of subscribers since the beginning of the year. The massive rise in subscribers could have something to do with the fact that Hulu Japan now offers more than 12,000 “assets” of TV dramas and film, and is available on a variety of devices in the country, including smartphones.

    Looking into the future, Hulu says that it expects to invest in more original content and network TV shows that its users want to see. With this, it expects to see even more growth as it continues to do battle with its major rivals at Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

    Images via Hulu

  • PlayStation 4 Video Streaming Apps Officially Announced

    Throughout the past eight years, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles have slowly become more than video game machines. Each console now has access to a number of streaming video and other apps that expand their functionality beyond household gamers. The PlayStation 3 even managed to become the most-used Netflix streaming device last year.

    With the next console generation only weeks away, consumers are now expecting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to have streaming video apps from day one. Though Microsoft has certainly let it be known that TV is a focus for the Xbox One, Sony has been focusing on gamer nostalgia for its PlayStation 4 marketing campaign.

    Today, with the launch of the PlayStation 4 only eight days away, Sony has finally revealed what streaming video apps its new console will have available at launch.

    Unsurprisingly, the most popular streaming video apps will all be on the PS4 day-one. Netflix and Hulu Plus will be available, as will Amazon Instant Video and even Redbox Instant. Streaming sports will also make an appearance with the NBA Game Time and NHL GameCenter Live apps, which also require subscriptions to use. Those with access to the EPIX channel can also enjoy that channel’s programming on a PS4 and the VUDU streaming video store will also be available.

    Beyond the obvious apps, the PS4 will also have several niche video streaming apps. Sony’s Crackle is a given, but the Crunchyroll app will come as a nice surprise for fans of Anime programming. Also, the YuppTV app will be available, providing access to over 150 Indian TV channels and hundreds of Indian movies.

  • Hulu Plus For iPhone Gets Chromecast Integration

    Hulu Plus For iPhone Gets Chromecast Integration

    Earlier this month, Hulu Plus announced that Chromecast integration had finally arrived for its iOS and Android apps. It was great news for those who had been waiting for Hulu Plus to join the Chromecast party, but there was one little problem – the iOS app only supported Chromecast integration on the iPad.

    The Hulu Plus-loving iPhone owner can now dry those tears, however, as the official Hulu Plus iOS app was updated today to include Chromecast integration on iPhone. To be more specific, any iPhone running iOS 6 and up can now beam their Hulu Plus content from their phone to their TV via Chromecast.

    With Hulu Plus and Netflix fully supporting Chromecast now, it leads one to wonder when the other big players in streaming video will join. Back in July, both Vimeo and Redbox Instant announced their intention to support Google’s streaming device, but both services have yet to add official support.

    There’s also the curious case of HBO Go not announcing any plans yet. You would think that HBO would want to get its streaming service on as many devices as possible, especially the top-selling Chromecast. There’s already an app for iOS and Android, and integrating Chromecast into its app shouldn’t take that much work. Still, HBO moves at its own pace, and it may take a while for it to add Chromecast support.

    Outside of that, we’re still waiting on the ability to play local content via Chromecast, but that functionality is still probably a few months away from becoming an official reality.

    Despite a few gripes, the Chromecast is still a great little device for those who want to watch the best the Internet has to offer on their television. It’s even better now that iPhone users can finally stream Hulu Plus onto their televisions. If that sounds appealing to you, you can grab the latest Hulu Plus app for iOS here.

    [Image: Hulu]

  • Hulu Plus Makes Its Way To The Nintendo 3DS

    Hulu Plus Makes Its Way To The Nintendo 3DS

    The Nintendo 3DS is becoming to go to handheld for games everywhere these days thanks to a string of hit titles, like Pokemon X/Y, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. Now players can also enjoy the latest and greatest TV shows on the 3DS’ 3.5-inch display.

    Nintendo announced this morning that Hulu Plus is now available on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. The free app has all the features of the Hulu Plus app on the Wii U, but on a decidedly smaller screen for on-the-go viewing wherever there’s a Wi-Fi connection.

    Hulu Plus is just the second video streaming platform to hit the Nintendo 3DS. Netflix has been on the handheld since 2011, while other services, like Amazon Instant Video, continue to abstain from the device despite being on the Wii U. That may change soon, however, as the addition of Hulu Plus may signal a push on the part of Nintendo to get more video streaming options on the 3DS.

    Why would Nintendo need video streaming options on a handheld that can sell itself on the quality of its games alone? The company makes a big to do in the press release about the launch of the 2DS – the new $130 handheld in the 3DS family. It’s being sold as the cheap way to get kids and non-gamers into the world of Nintendo handhelds, and some parents would obviously question the value of a 2DS over a tablet. With an improved range of multimedia options, parents might be more inclined to buy the 2DS so their kids can have both Hulu Plus and Pokemon.

    If you want to know more about Hulu Plus on Nintendo 3DS, check out Hulu’s landing page for it. New subscribers can get a one-month free trial.

    [Image: Hulu]