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Tag: Hulu

  • Hulu CEO Forecasts 2011 Revenue Of $500 Million

    Hulu CEO Forecasts 2011 Revenue Of $500 Million

    Prior to its launch, more than a few prominent bloggers predicted that Hulu would fail, and it was dubbed "Clown Co." in certain circles.  Now, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar has forecast that his organization will earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 million in ad revenue this year (see update).

    Mike Shields reported following a keynote at the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, "Hulu is on pace to haul in half a billion dollars in ad revenue in 2011, according to CEO Jason Kilar.  That would represent nearly a 100 percent increase from the $263 million the company – a joint venture between NBC Universal, Disney and News Corp. – made last year."

    Jason KilarWhat’s more, Shields later added, "Kilar revealed that Hulu now boasts of 627 advertisers and 250 content partners.  That represents meteoric growth from 36 months ago, when the site launched with two content partners and a dozen advertisers."

    Those are some impressive stats.  Obviously, there will be something of a limit to how much Hulu can expand – there isn’t an endless amount of stuff that people will want to watch – but it doesn’t look like the site’s encountering many problems yet.

    Indeed, in just the last month, Hulu’s landed deals to show videos from both the Criterion Collection and TED conferences, which is about as top-shelf as it gets.

    All this should go a long way towards cementing Hulu’s reputation as a good thing for content owners, advertisers, and users.

    UPDATE: A Hulu represenative reached out to WebProNews in an email, writing, "Hulu projects $500M TOTAL revenue (ads + subscriptions), not just ad revenue."  This article’s title has been adjusted to reflect the change.

  • Hulu To Show TED Conference Clips

    TED conferences are elite – and well-respected – events.  People are so eager to attend them that tickets costing $6,000 each are snapped up in no time at all.  Only now, videos of many TEDTalks will be available for free through Hulu and Hulu Plus.

    Admittedly, this isn’t too huge a breakthrough in one sense; 886 video clips have already been posted at ted.com/talks, so anybody who knew what he (or she) was looking for was almost sure to find it.

    The availability of the clips through Hulu represents a win for the site, however, as it should elevate Hulu’s reputation.  And it’s also sure to result in lots more people being introduced to interesting new notions.

    A post on the Hulu Blog explained, "For those of you who are not familiar with TED, think of TEDTalks as a smart and concise way to explore new ideas and gain exposure to concepts and innovations you may not have ever seen before, all in 18 minutes or less.  All TEDTalks share a common thread: ideas worth spreading as told by the most inspiring and passionate doers and thinkers around."

    HuluThen the post added, "Through Hulu and Hulu Plus, we hope to extend the reach and impact of TED, because the more people who hear and understand an idea, the more powerful that idea becomes."

    The 2011 TED Conference "Welcome Gala" will take place later today in Long Beach, California, by the way.

  • VEVO Second Only To YouTube In January

    A total of 171 million U.S. Internet users watched online video in January for an average of 14.5 hours per viewer, according to the latest report from comScore.

    Google sites remained the top online video content property in January with 144. 1 million unique viewers, driven mainly by YouTube. VEVO landed in the second spot with 51 million viewers, trailed by Yahoo sites with 48.7 million viewers. Viacom Digital took the fourth position with 48.1 million viewers, while AOL attracted 44.5 million viewers. Google sites had the e highest number of viewing sessions with 1.9 billion, and average time spent per viewer at 283 minutes, or 4.7 hours.

    Video-January

    Americans viewed more than 4.3 billion video ads in January, with Hulu generating the highest number of video ad impressions at nearly 1.1 billion. Tremor Media Video Network ranked second overall (and highest among video ad networks) with 503.7 million ad views, followed by ADAP.TV (432 million) and Microsoft Sites (415 million).

     

    Video-Ads

     

    Time spent watching videos ads totaled 1.7 billion minutes during the month, with Hulu streaming the largest duration at 434 million minutes. Video ads reached 45 percent of the total U.S. population an average of 32 times during the month. Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 44.6 during the month.

    Other findings from comScore in January include:

    *The top video ad networks in terms of their potential reach of the total U.S. population were: Tremor Media at 46.8 percent, BrightRoll Video Network at 41.9 percent and Break Media at 40.7 percent.

    *83.5 percent of the U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.

    *The duration of the average online content video was 5.0 minutes, while the average online video ad was 0.4 minutes.

     

     

     

  • Criterion Collection Comes To Hulu Plus

    Criterion Collection Comes To Hulu Plus

    Film students, movie buffs, and people who are simply budget-minded now have more reason than ever to join Hulu Plus.  A new deal will see hundreds of Criterion Collection movies become available through the service without commercial interruption and at no extra charge.

    The Criterion Collection is legendary in some circles.  Since 1984, it’s specialized in high-quality editions of rare, critically acclaimed films.  Prices can top $100 per movie, and sometimes just hundreds of copies are sold.

    It’s quite significant, then, that Peter Becker, the CEO of Criterion, wrote on the Hulu Blog this morning, "Starting today, there are more than 150 of our most important films online on the Hulu Plus subscription service."

    Becker next continued, "Over the coming months, that number will swell to more than 800 films.  For the true cinephile, this should be a dream come true.  On Hulu Plus, you’ll find everything in our library, from Academy Award winners to many of the most famous films by art-house superstars like Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, and Federico Fellini to films so rare that they have never been seen in the U.S. in any medium." 


    A few Criterion Collection movies will rotate through the regular Hulu site (with ad interruptions), too, by the way.

  • Stewart, Colbert Return To Hulu

    Stewart, Colbert Return To Hulu

    Eleven months ago, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were pulled from Hulu.  Fans complained in response.  Now the shows are back thanks to a wider deal between Hulu and Viacom, and Hulu’s CEO, Jason Kilar, has also revealed some interesting stats and opinions regarding the site’s performance and the future of television.

    Let’s start with a quick rundown of the content deal.  Episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will once again become available on Hulu the day after they air.  Meanwhile, Hulu Plus users will get access to episodes of Hot in Cleveland, Jersey Shore, and Tosh.0 21 days after they air, along with 2,000 episodes of older shows like Chappelle’s Show, The Hills, and Reno 911.

    Rumors indicate Hulu will pay Viacom at least $40 million for all this, although no financial details were disclosed.

    As for what Kilar had to say, he indicated that Hulu Plus has been successful, writing in an official blog post, "Our subscriber count will pass 1 million this year, to our knowledge the fastest start of any online video subscription service.  In the fall, we expect Hulu Plus as a business will have a revenue run rate north of $200 million."

    Then Kilar addressed the subject of Hulu versus traditional TV.  He wrote, "Based on metrics from Nielsen/IAG, Hulu’s video advertising service is roughly 2x as effective as traditional TV video advertising services."

    So, tackling the idea of having to pay for content (and perhaps angering network execs), Kilar concluded, "Our conviction remains that if we respect the customer and innovate effectively, we can pay content owners more from the ad side of the business than anyone else’s ad service can do (be that live/linear consumption or DVR viewing)."

  • Hulu Recaptures Spot On List Of Top Video Sites

    New numbers are out with respect to the U.S. online video landscape, and, to be perfectly honest, they’re quite similar to the old numbers.  But according to comScore, at least one noteworthy thing happened in December: Hulu made its way back onto a top ten list.

    Hulu’s been on the edge as of late.  In October, it came in tenth among video sites in terms of total unique viewers.  Then Hulu, despite all the backing it’s received from ABC, Fox, and NBC, was absent from the November list.

    Now comScore’s put it just behind Turner Digital with 26.5 million visitors in December.

    Otherwise, Google’s still very much on top, and Yahoo’s in second place.  VEVO secured third place, AOL came in fourth, and fifth place went to Viacom with Facebook not far behind.  Next, Microsoft and Fox got seventh and eighth, respectively.

    As for some more basic info, comScore reported in a statement, "172 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in December for an average of 14.6 hours per viewer.  The total U.S. Internet audience engaged in nearly 5.2 billion viewing sessions during the course of the month."

    We’ll be sure to check in again when the report on January’s released.

  • Hulu Plus To Become Available On Some Android Phones

    Individuals who both own an Android phone and subscribe to Hulu Plus are perhaps not the poorest folks around (food and shelter tend to come before data plans and entertainment services), but soon enough, they may get more for their money.  Hulu Plus is supposed to become available on certain Android phones sometime this year.

    Hulu CEO Jason Kilar announced this goal at CES.  In a post on the Hulu Blog, Product Director Rob Wong then explained that "select Android phones (running Android OS 2.2)" will represent the starting point, and he also set the timeframe as "in coming months."

    This development should significantly improve the value of Hulu Plus to a particular set of users (and potential users).  Soon, they’ll be able to get something in exchange for their $7.99 per month any time their phone’s handy, not just when they happen to be near a computer or specially equipped TV.

    HuluOn that note, there were two more Hulu Plus-related developments Wong shared.  He wrote, "Hulu Plus is now available on Vizio Internet-connected HDTVs, and is coming soon to Vizio Blu-ray players. . . .  Finally, we also announced an agreement to bring Hulu Plus to Haier internet-connected HDTVs and Blu-ray players later this year."

    Execs at Google and Netflix are likely to be less than pleased about all this, especially since a Google TV-Vizio deal was sealed just this week.

  • “Daily Show,” “Colbert Report” May Return To Hulu

    Two TV shows famous for reporting the day’s news to hilarious effect may soon return to Hulu.  Rumor has it that important people at both Hulu and Comedy Central are making an effort to bring "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" back to the site.

    The shows were pulled in March of this year after Hulu was unable to secure the rights to keep presenting them.  Reports indicated that Comedy Central wanted monetary payments in advance of whatever ad revenue episodes generated.

    Hulu handled the loss well, though, saying "a fond farewell" with an official blog post, and now it looks like remaining friendly could pay off.

    HuluBrian Stelter wrote this week, "[E]xecutives at Hulu and Comedy Central negotiated about restoring the shows as recently as last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks. . . .  Both sides were eager to make peace, the people said."

    Let’s hope an agreement is reached.  "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are still available through Comedy Central sites, but Hulu’s user interface is widely considered to be better-designed.

    The only catch may be in whether the shows are made available to everyone or tied to Hulu Plus in some way.

  • Hulu Attributes Unexpected Revenue Growth To Hulu Plus

    Early reviews of Hulu Plus weren’t too favorable, with most folks coming to the conclusion that Netflix was a better deal.  The newer service has cut its price and improved its content selection, however, and as a result, apparently caught on to the point that it helped Hulu earn an unanticipated $20 million.

    Here’s what happened: last month at the NewTeeVee Live conference, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar predicted that his company would take in $240 million this year.  Then yesterday, during a CNBC interview, he mentioned the number $260 million.  And Kilar won’t admit to misspeaking either time.

    Instead, he told Dan Frommer this morning that demand for Hulu Plus and Hulu’s ads have "been larger than we anticipated/projected back in early November."

    So some impressive growth must have taken place in the space of one month.

    On a related subject, Hulu’s now trying to sell even more Hulu Plus subscriptions.  On the Hulu Blog, a post appeared late yesterday suggesting that people give them as gifts, noting, "These gift subscriptions can be sent instantly via email (a bonus for you last-minute shoppers) or printed and tucked into a card if you prefer."

    Keep an eye out for Kilar’s next interview in case the holiday push adds another $20 million or so onto Hulu’s revenue figures.

  • comScore: Facebook, Hulu Lost Video Viewers In Nov.

    Facebook and Hulu, while doing fine in many respects, couldn’t quite hold online video viewers’ interest in November as they’ve done before.  New stats from comScore indicate that both companies failed to match past performances last month, with Facebook losing a spot on a top ten list and Hulu falling off it.

    To delve into the numbers: Facebook saw its unique user count fall from 47.4 million individuals in October to 42.5 million in November, which caused it to drop from fifth place to sixth in terms of attracting unique video viewers.

    Hulu, meanwhile, lost its tenth-place spot to Turner Digital, which apparently outperformed it with 27.7 million viewers in November even though Hulu drew in 29.7 million viewers in October.  Although comScore still found that more Hulu ads were viewed in November than the previous month.

    If you’re curious about some other details, the organization shared in a statement, "Yahoo! Sites captured the #2 spot with 53.8 million viewers, followed by Viacom Digital, jumping 4 positions in October with 52.9 million viewers. . . .  Google Sites had the highest number of viewing sessions, crossing the 2.0 billion mark in October, and average time spent per viewer at 272 minutes, or 4.5 hours."

    As always, it should be interesting to see what kinds of turns these numbers take in the next report.

  • Hulu CEO Interested In New Investors, International Growth

    Hulu’s a nice service, but for everyone not living in America, there’s a major problem: the site’s been unavailable to them so far.  Now, although there are no guarantees, it looks like Hulu’s starting to explore ways it might open up to new audiences.

    Jessica E. Vascellaro and Sam Schechner reported late yesterday, "Hulu LLC wants to expand its online video service internationally and would be willing to take on new investors to help it do so, Jason Kilar, its chief executive, said in an interview Wednesday."

    Accepting new funds could be a tricky process.  Hulu’s existing partners/backers (ABC, Fox, NBC, and Providence Equity Partners) may be loathe to give up any control over the organization, especially if it would mean compromises where topics like advertising and Hulu Plus subscription rates are concerned.

    HuluPlus, as Kilar admitted, "There’s a lot of existing relationships in terms of foreign sales," so it might be tough to show many TV series overseas without violating other contracts.

    Hulu’s at least looking for solutions, though, which folks outside the U.S. have to take as a good sign.

    One semi-surprising side note on the subject of Hulu Plus: Vascellaro and Schechner wrote, "Mr. Kilar also said Hulu’s new $7.99-a-month subscription service is performing ahead of the company’s expectations . . ."

  • Hulu Plus Gets 20 Percent Price Cut

    Hulu Plus has – at least to some degree – heard and acknowledged its critics.  This morning, an announcement indicated that the service’s content library is growing and its price is shrinking as it launches out of preview.  Also, as a sort of bonus, Hulu Plus is becoming available on Roku.

    The price-related announcement has the most potential to change things for Hulu Plus.  Critics pointed out from the start that Netflix only cost $8.99 per month, which made Hulu Plus’s $9.99 asking price look high.  Now Hulu will just charge $7.99 per month, though, and so early adopters don’t feel cheated, it’ll apply a credit for the difference to their accounts.

    As for the matter of content, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar wrote on the Hulu Blog, "With this launch, we are proud to offer our users the only subscription service with the full current season of hit TV shows like Glee, Modern Family, The Office, House, 30 Rock, Grey’s Anatomy, and more, with minimal ad-load, across computers, TVs, mobile phones, and tablets."

    Then, after noting that Hulu Plus is available to around 50 million people thanks to its device partnerships, Kilar added, "Today, Hulu Plus launches on Roku."

    HuluNot a bad collection of proclamations, right?  Kilar even capped off the blog post by mentioning some freebies.  First, a one-week free trial is available to new subscribers (and again, early adopters will receive a credit).  Second, current subscribers and people they invite through a referral program will each get two free weeks of Hulu Plus.

    Unfortunately, users will still see ads, and Netflix’s selection remains better in many ways.  But it’s at least true that Hulu Plus has never looked more attractive.

  • Hulu Sets Ad Impression Record In October

    New comScore video data is out, and as usual, a few corporations traded places in terms of successfully attracting unique viewers.  The bigger story, though, may be the fact that Hulu showed its users over 1.1 billion ads in October, which is more than twice as many as the number two entity, Tremor Media Video Network.

    comScore called the 1.1 billion ads a record, and indeed, they represent an interesting milestone or two.  One possibility is that Hulu cranked up some sort of revenue dial, considering it generated just 794 million ad impressions in September.  That means an increase of 39.8 percent occurred on a month-over-month basis.

    Still, at the same time, Hulu also managed to do a much better job of holding users’ attention, since comScore recorded a 27.8 percent month-over-month increase in minutes spent per viewer.

    So October was a very good month for Hulu, setting aside the fact that it slipped from ninth place to tenth in the unique viewer rankings.

    As for some other changes in those rankings, Viacom moved from seventh place to third, VEVO rose from sixth place to fourth, and Facebook fell from third place to fifth.

    Google, meanwhile, remained very much on top, with comScore noting in a statement, "Google Sites had the highest number of viewing sessions, crossing the 2.0 billion mark in October, and average time spent per viewer at 272 minutes, or 4.5 hours."

  • Hulu Plus Makes Appearance On Sony Dash

    Hulu Plus, the $9.99 per month service that has so far failed to attract much positive attention, scored another (small) victory today.  Now Hulu Plus is available through the Sony Dash, a device designed to inhabit bedrooms, kitchens, and offices.

    A little more info on the Dash in case you’re unfamiliar with it: Sony describes it as "a Wi-Fi connected device that features a vivid 7-inch color touch screen and built-in stereo speakers."  And a selection of over 1,000 free apps ensures that owners can use the Dash to check the news, weather, some social networks, or whatever.

    HuluSo Hulu Plus will sort of align with the device’s purpose in terms of providing entertainment.  Also, this development goes to show that Hulu and Sony remain on excellent terms (Hulu Plus is already available through the PS3 and Bravia TVs).

    It seems doubtful that this move will inspire many people to either sign up for Hulu Plus or buy a Sony Dash, however.  Hulu Plus continues to suffer in comparisons to Netflix; it costs more, has commercials, and lacks content.  Then the Dash just seems to occupy an odd niche threatened by smartphones, laptops, and the iPad.

    We’ll see what happens, anyway.

    Brennan Mullin, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ personal imaging and audio business, said in a statement, "The addition of Hulu Plus serves as an ideal example of how Dash continues to evolve and improve over time.  With Hulu on board, the Dash platform has the ability to deliver a huge variety of online entertainment instantly to consumers’ homes on top of glanceable, real-time tidbits of information."

  • Fox Jumps On The “Block Google TV” Bandwagon

    Much like its competitors (ABC, CBS, and NBC) Fox has decided to block Google TV from accessing its website to stream video content. Currently if you go to any of the networks website you’re met with an error message that reads, “This content is not compatible with your device“.

    Does it make any sense that networks are blocking content from Google TV? Tell us your thoughts.

    It looks like Google has a long negotiating road ahead of them. According to TheNextWeb, “Google was said to be in negotiations with at least three television networks to unblock the content but that news surfaced towards the end of October and we’re now approaching the middle of November and it looks as if things have regressed rather than move forward.”

    Why does blocking content to viewers ever seem like a good idea? Well it seems that networks don’t want television and online content to cross paths, as online content pulls in far less ad revenue compared to on-air commercials. Networks want you to watch their actual broadcasts.

    When do you think Google will reach agreements with the networks? Let us know.

  • Hulu Plus Improves Availability, Selection

    Hulu Plus Improves Availability, Selection

    Thanks to a sizable collection of updates, anyone who’s been wanting to try Hulu Plus can now do so, and anyone who hasn’t might want to reconsider his (or her) opinion.  This morning, Hulu made Hulu Plus more accessible, and, for some people, cheaper.

    Product Director Rob Wong announced on the Hulu Blog, "As we scale our infrastructure throughout the preview period, we want to open the service to a larger subscriber base.  To make it easier for people to try out Hulu Plus, you no longer need an invitation to subscribe."

    What’s more, "In the next week, all PS3 owners with a PlayStation Network account, which is free, will be able to download and subscribe to Hulu Plus."  Which should do away with the old PlayStation Plus (and additional $4.17 per month) requirement.

    Unfortunately for consumers, aside from talking about Battlestar Galactica, The Event, Monk, No Ordinary Family, Psych, and Raising Hope (more episodes of each are available), along with the introduction of Hulu Plus on Sony Bravia TVs, that was about all Wong had to say.

    No price cut from $9.99 per month to $4.95 per month occurred, in other words.

    Still, today’s changes help make Hulu Plus a more attractive proposition, and the company may be smart to see how many people it can get to bite at the higher price point.

  • Former Google Employee: Flying Easier Than Using Sony Google TV Remote

    It’s no secret that Google TV is having a rougher launch then some might have envisioned. (Some users have even said that it’s the first Google product that needs the "beta" label but doesn’t have it.) Mark Cuban has even blogged about how Google TV could hand Netflix the entire streaming universe.

    Have you tried Google TV? If so, what did you think? Let us know.

    Just last week it was reported that Hulu, ABC, NBC, and CBS were blocking content from Google TV, which makes absolutely no sense at all in my opinion. Now some users are calling out the peripherals of Google TV devices, more specifically the Sony remote. (If you’re unfamiliar with the remote, you can see an image below.)

    Sony's Internet TV with Google TV remote

    Just yesterday, former Google employee, suspected pilot, and current BuzzFeed President Jon Steinberg tweeted his frustration over Sony’s new TV remote…

    I tried Google TV yesterday. Flying a Cessna is easier and has fewer controls than the Sony remoteless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneJon Steinberg
    jonsteinberg

    Mr. Steinberg isn’t alone with his feelings on the Sony remote; the Boy Genius Report stated the following while doing their hands-on demonstration…

    ”The size is definitely intriguing as it is way smaller in person than we expected it to be. Also, the feel is right – pretty light without feeling inexpensively cheap. However, the myriad of buttons sort of confuses us, especially when a bunch of them don’t serve a purpose 90% of the time in what we’d imagine would be your daily use.”

    Have you used Sony’s Internet TV with Google TV remote? If so, what are your thoughts? Tell us what you think.

    With any new product there are bumps in the road; it’s all about how they respond to the criticism and how much they truly care about the UX of their software and devices.

    It’s now being rumored that Apple is vying to acquire Sony, the consumer electronics giant. Apple reportedly has $50 billion in cash reserves, while Sony has a market cap of $34 billion. So, financially speaking, Sony is a strong possibility for Apple. It’s unclear at this time what impact this has for Sony’s new Internet TV with Google TV, since Apple already has a digital multimedia receiver with Apple TV. What are your thoughts on this? Should Apple attempt to acquire Sony? Let us know your thoughts.

  • Rumors Hint At Hulu Plus Price Cut

    With its limited selection of content, still-present ads, and price of $9.99 per month, Hulu Plus doesn’t appear to have been a hit so far.  Now, however, there’s a rumor Hulu’s going to see what sort of interest there is at the price point of $4.95 per month.

    Peter Kafka‘s usually-reliable sources told him that discussions are underway.  They didn’t guarantee that a change will take place, or indicate when the matter might be decided for sure.

    Still, a price cut seems like a smart – and probably necessary – move on Hulu’s part.  It’s possible to sign up with Netflix for $8.99 a month, after all, and Netflix has a huge range of movies and TV shows on tap.  Without commercials of any sort inserted in them.

    HuluAlso, Netflix is at this point the sort of incumbent option when it comes to extra video content, so Hulu would be wise to beat, and not just match, its price.

    We’ll be sure to see what happens.

    For what it’s worth, all’s quiet on authorized channels.  Kafka wrote, "Hulu declined to comment about the service, which is still officially in beta mode."

  • Rumor: Hulu IPO Possible Early Next Year

    Rumor: Hulu IPO Possible Early Next Year

    It’s possible that we’re at last digging out of the recession, given that the Dow’s flirting with 11,000 today.  It’s possible, too, that the people behind Hulu are ready to take advantage of this fact, as a new rumor indicates the company could go public early next year.

    According to what one anonymous source told Reuters, Hulu’s weighing the option of raising $200-$300 million.  That would value the organization at about $2 billion, or double the valuation it got pre-launch back in 2007.

    As for when we’ll know for sure, Reuters reported, "A decision could come by November, the source said."

    HuluThen the article later continued, "Filing by the end of the year gives Hulu the flexibility to push an IPO out in January or February if the new issue market improves, but also lays the groundwork for an offering in April or May, after first quarter results have given it more time to gauge its financial health and the market . . ."

    So don’t make a note on your calendar to buy HULU (or laugh at those who do) on any particular date just yet.  Even anonymous sources aren’t claiming everything’s written in stone.

    This just qualifies as an interesting rumor to weigh on a day when the stock market’s looking more inviting than it has in a quite a while.

  • Hulu Should Be Better at What it Does

    Hulu Should Be Better at What it Does

    Late last week, a deal between FOX and DISH Network came to an end, leaving DISH Network subscribers without FX, FOX Sports, and the National Geographic Channel. FOX raised their rates and DISH didn’t want to pay. While the two companies continue negotiations, some of us wonder how we are going to watch the shows that we regularly enjoy. 

    There are at least 5 shows I regularly watch on FX, and I have DISH Network, so naturally, this presents a problem for me. 3 of these shows are currently in mid-season. Now, I get to figure out where to watch the next episodes. My first thought was Hulu. They have FOX and (FOX-owned) FX content. I remember watching full episodes of "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" there some time ago. I remember that they even had episodes a week after they aired. I can deal with that if I have to. 

    Too bad they don’t do that anymore. 

    Looking at that show’s page now, there are no full episodes available, let alone the newest ones. Now the show’s page on Hulu says they’re able to post new episodes 30 days after they air, starting later this month. The same goes for "The League". The Same goes for the "Sons of Anarchy". Awesome. Thanks Hulu. Thanks FOX. 

    The League on Hulu

    AdAge has an interesting and timely article about a speech given by Hulu CEO Jason Kilar this week. According to the article, he basically told the "big media" to either serve consumers or lose them. AdAge’s Nate Ives reports:

    That’s particularly true because media consumption is basically an optional activity, he said. It’s habitual and important for most of us, he argued, but no one’s going to actually die if they don’t see the latest episode of "30 Rock." And within media, as the magazine publishers in the room were well aware, mushrooming options mean you’ve got to serve consumers or lose them. It’s no sure thing that a young person’s going to watch "The Amazing Race" instead of visiting Facebook. "Content is discretionary, so you better focus on convenience," he told the audience.

    Convenience. What a concept. It seems like FOX is going out of its way to make it as inconvenient as possible for me to see the shows I watch. Meanwhile, DISH claims to be keeping up the fight. 

    "We regret that FOX Networks, the owner of some Regional Sports Networks, FX and National Geographic Channel, removed their channels from the DISH Network line-up," the company says.  "FOX has demanded a rate increase of more than 50%. An increase this large would force DISH Network to pass these costs on to our customers, which we are unwilling to do during these tough economic times."

    "DISH Network will continue to work tirelessly for a fair agreement in order to bring these channels back at the earliest possible time."

    Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll bring the channels back in time to see episodes that haven’t even aired on Hulu yet, so we’ll either have to DVR them while we wait to be caught up. 

    By the way, none of these shows are even available on Hulu Plus for $9.99 a month.

  • Facebook Second Only To YouTube For Video Viewing

    comScore said today that 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video in August for an average of 14.3 hours per viewer.

    Google sites, driven by video viewing on YouTube, ranked as the top online video property with 146.3 million unique viewers. Facebook move up one position to land in the second spot with 58.6 million viewers, for a total of 243 million viewing sessions. Yahoo sites ranked third with 53.9 million viewers, followed by Vevo with 45.4 million. Google sites had the highest number of overall viewing sessions with 1.9 billion and average time spent per viewer at 270 minutes , or 4.5 hours.

    comScore-Video

    Americans viewed more than 3.8 billion video ads in August, with Hulu generating the highest number of video ad impressions at 790 million. BrightRoll Video Network ranked second overall (and highest among video ad networks) with 469 million ad views, followed by Tremor Media Video Network (442 million) and Microsoft Sites (234 million). Video ads reached 45 percent of the total U.S. population an average of 28 times during the month. Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 30 over the course of the month.

    Other highlights from August include:

    *85.1 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.

    *The duration of the average online content video was 4.8 minutes, while the average online video ad was 0.4 minutes.

    *Video ads accounted for 10.7 percent of all videos viewed and 1.0 percent of all minutes spent viewing video online.