WebProNews

Tag: Hulu

  • CBS President Expresses Interest In Hulu Plus

    Although there are no guarantees, the president and CEO of CBS has indicated that he might finally allow some of his network’s content to be shown by Hulu.  The interesting catch: it’s actually the premium service Hulu Plus with which Leslie Moonves wants to deal.

    At a Goldman Sachs conference, Moonves reasoned according to Joseph Tartakoff, "It makes a lot more sense to us than Hulu does. . . .  It’s something that you could see us participate in [in] the future."

    That would create an interesting situation, suggesting that CBS’s content is more valuable than what ABC, Fox, and NBC produce.  Which ABC, Fox, and NBC might not appreciate, especially if it meant more money for CBS.

    HuluOn the other hand, the addition of content from CBS might make Hulu Plus more attractive to potential users, allowing all of Hulu’s backers to earn additional revenue if/when they signed up.

    We’ll see what happens.  It’s very much possible Moonves will shelve the idea, anyway, rendering this speculation moot.

    An unrelated programming note: Twitter and William Shatner fans may want to know that $#*! My Dad Says will premiere at 8:30 tonight on CBS.

  • Hulu Plus v2.02 Released

    Hulu Plus v2.02 Released

    Fair warning: Hulu Plus remains in a state of "limited preview," and its controversial fee/commercial setup hasn’t changed, either.  But v2.02 was released this morning, and it should go a ways towards making Hulu Plus more attractive to potential users.

    The updated version includes several new features and improvements, the most important of which is "automatic adaptive bitrate switching."  A post on the Hulu Blog explained, "[T]he video quality will dynamically change to accommodate fluctuations in network conditions.  This aims to deliver the smoothest, highest quality video stream that your internet connection can handle."

    Then another pair of important tweaks involve improved support for the PlayStation Blu-ray remote and the QWERTY keypad accessory, since it might have been hard to enjoy the Hulu Plus experience as long as simple searches required 60 taps on a game controller.

    Finally, the size of the application’s been reduced, error reports were altered, video expiration notices were introduced, and a few bugs and stability issues were fixed.

    It’s wise of Hulu to address these issues before trying to introduce Hulu Plus to a larger audience.  The company’s promised that more changes are on the way, too.

    It just remains to be seen whether many people will pay for Hulu Plus when the content selection isn’t that great and they’re still forced to watch commercials.

     

  • Hulu To Open Development Center In Seattle

    Amazon, Expedia, Redfin, and Zillow may want to hold an employee appreciation day in the near future.  Hulu announced today that it will open a development center in Seattle – which is where those organizations are headquartered – and the company is also looking to increase its headcount.

    Hulu’s moving fast on both fronts.  The development center is supposed to be ready by the end of this year, and Richard Tom, Vice President of Platform Technology, made his email address (richard at hulu dot com) public if any software developers want to apply.

    In a post on the Hulu Blog, Tom also pointed out that Hulu has a solid track record in terms of moving quickly.  He noted, "Over the last year, we’ve scaled our service to handle over 30 million users and over 1 billion streams per month."

    HuluAs for the future, Tom hinted at lots and lots more growth, adding, "The online video experience today is only a fraction of what we think it can and should be . . ."

    Anyway, Hulu’s move to Seattle seems solid due to the area’s strong tech credentials.  Also, since Hulu has already has offices in Beijing, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, Seattle represents a natural fit in terms of geographic distribution.

    Unfortunately, Hulu didn’t share any details about size or price in connection with the new development center.

  • Analyst Suggests Yahoo Interested In Hulu Stake

    If and when Hulu goes public, Yahoo might be interested in purchasing a significant number of shares, according to an analyst.  What’s more, the company supposedly wouldn’t purchase them as a standard compound-your-worth investment, but instead to really buy into the business.

    We’ll note right here: this seems to be one man’s opinion, not any sort of official plan.  Also, it’s of course hard to say when Hulu will hold an IPO and what Yahoo’s financial state will be at that time.

    Still, Sarah Rabil reported earlier, "Yahoo . . . would consider acquiring a stake in Hulu to solidify itself as an entertainment destination and a ‘must- buy’ for advertisers, Jordan Rohan, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus in New York, wrote in a note today.  Hulu’s estimated $200 million in revenue this year ‘implies superior monetization’ compared with Google Inc.’s YouTube video site, Rohan wrote."

    And that is a fair point.  After all, it’s been five years since Google bought YouTube, and the search giant still hasn’t said that YouTube’s achieved profitability.  Whereas Hulu passed into the black in late 2009 after launching in March of 2008.

    YahooPlus, on a more human level, it’s not hard to imagine that Yahoo’s leaders would love one-upping Google in some way.

    The situation’s perhaps worth keeping an eye on, then.  Stranger things have happened.

  • Facebook Creeps Up the Charts as 178 Million Americans Watch Online Video

    comScore released its Video Metrix data for July today. According to this, 178 million people in the U.S. watched online video content during the month, watching an average of 14.7 hours per user.

    During the month, Facebook moved up from the fourth position to the third position behind Yahoo properties, and of course Google properties at number 1. Facebook accounted for 46.6 million viewers.

    Hulu generated the highest number of video ad impressions at 783 million in July. Americans viewed nearly 3.6 billion video ads in all. NewTeeVee notes that four out of five Hulu videos are ads.

    Top Video Properties in July

    Ranked by Video Ads - Online Video Properties

    84.9% of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video during the month. The average video duration was 4.8 minutes. The average duration of online video ads was 0.4 minutes.

    Video ads accounted for 9.8% of all videos viewed and 0.9% of all minutes spent viewing video online.

  • Hulu Said To Aim For Fall IPO

    It may not be long before it’s possible to track the stock symbol HULU in addition to tech mainstays like GOOG and YHOO.  A new report has indicated that Hulu intends to go public sometime in the next few months.

    Citing "people briefed on the matter," Andrew Ross Sorkin and Michael J. de la Merced wrote earlier this morning, "Hulu, the rapidly growing hub for online television and movies, aims to go public through an offering that could value the company at more than $2 billion . . ."

    As for the timeframe – and just how serious everyone is – the pair continued, "In recent weeks, Hulu executives have begun talking to investment banks about pursuing an initial public offering as soon as this fall, these people said."

    HuluThat could be a risky time for Hulu to become part of the stock market, considering that the last couple of years haven’t exactly been kind to the average company’s value.  (The Dow is already down 0.28 percent so far this morning, too.)

    On the other hand, since Google still hasn’t said anything about YouTube achieving profitability, it seems fairly safe to assume that Hulu has a leg up in that respect, perhaps giving it an edge in potential investors’ eyes.

    We’ll see what happens.  Hulu’s stayed mum so far with regards to the report.

  • YouTube And Yahoo Top Video Sites In June

    YouTube And Yahoo Top Video Sites In June

    More than 177 million U.S. Internet users watched video content in June, according to the latest report from comScore.

    Google sites, driven by video viewing on YouTube, ranked as the top video content property with 144.5 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo sites (44.9 million viewers) and Vevo (43.7 million viewers).

    Google sites had the highest number of overall viewing sessions with 1.8 billion and average time spent per viewer at 261 minutes or 4.3 hours. Hulu also had high viewer engagement with an average of 135 minutes (or 2.2 hours) per viewer.

    Top-Videos-June

    Americans viewed more than 4.3 billion video ads in June, with Hulu generating the highest number of ad views at 566 million. Tremor Media Video Network ranked second overall (and highest among video ad networks) with 524 million ad views, followed by BrightRoll Video Network (333 million) and Microsoft Sites (222 million).

    Video ads reached 45 percent of the total U.S. population an average of 31.5 times during the month. Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 24.2 over the course of the month.

    Other highlights include:

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

    *The duration of the average online content video was 4.9 minutes, while the average online video ad was 0.4 minutes.

    *Video ads accounted for 12.2 percent of all videos viewed but only 1.2 percent of all minutes spent viewing video online.

    comScore

    also introduced its new Video Metrix 2.0 online video measurement service offering improved reporting of online video ad impressions.
     

     

  • Hulu Plus Makes It To PS3

    Hulu Plus Makes It To PS3

    Although a fair number of people have hooked computers up to televisions, and a few folks might be willing to stare at their monitors for hours on end, a new development should help Hulu reach a much larger crowd.  Hulu’s now available through the PS3.

    A couple of quick notes regarding the current state of things: only PS3 Plus subscribers are allowed access to Hulu Plus (meaning there are two fees involved), and this is still considered a "limited preview," so even among PS3 Plus subscribers, not everyone will be allowed to participate.

    Hold your boos, though.  Susan Panico, Senior Director of the PlayStation Network, promised on the PlayStation Blog that a more inclusive experience is in the works.

    Panico wrote, "As Hulu Plus becomes generally available in the coming months, all PlayStation 3 users in the United States will be able to download and subscribe to the full Hulu Plus service and it will also be available on wide range of Sony Electronics Internet-connected entertainment devices, including select BRAVIA TVs and Blu-ray Disc players."

    So lots and lots of people should soon be able to enjoy Hulu Plus on a big screen from the comfort of their couch, which should result in a lot of new interest in the service.  After all, however you feel about the commercials, the content selection, and the price of Hulu Plus, at least a folks who have already paid for those entertainment devices will probably opt for a pay service, as well.

    Now we just have to wait and see whether their numbers are large enough to make Hulu Plus a genuine success.

  • Hulu CEO: Ad-Free Version Not Out Of The Question

    When the details of Hulu Plus were announced, many people were dismayed that the service still included advertisements.  Now, Hulu’s CEO has indicated that he’d be willing to do away with the ads – so long as enough customers are willing to pay more money.

    HuluOm Malik was able to talk to CEO Jason Kilar sometime yesterday, and in an article published today, Malik wrote, "When I asked Kilar to comment on the criticism being leveled at the company, he said that the company was comfortable with the idea of offering a higher-priced version if there is demand from customers."

    And if that plan involving multiple tiers sounds a little overcomplicated considering the existence of free alternatives – and the simple fact that people can use commercials as an opportunity to check their email – there is sort of a precedent.

    Malik wrote, "Kilar argued that in the premium content distribution business there is no one model. . . .  He pointed to the old TV business as an example of how different business models exist.  There are ad-supported broadcast networks, subscription only operations such as HBO and then there are hybrids like TNT and TBS that charge subscriptions and also air advertising on their channels."

    So we’ll see what happens.  Hulu will likely let the situation stabilize for at least a few months before changing anything, but keep an eye out for surveys on the site asking your opinion about ads and/or bigger fees.

  • Hulu Plus Launches for Ten Bucks a Month

    Hulu Plus Launches for Ten Bucks a Month

    We’ve known for quite some time that Hulu was working on a paid service, and the time has finally come. Hulu launched Hulu Plus today. It’s both ad-supported AND requires a subscription. Hulu says this is revolutionary.

    Here are some details to know about Hulu Plus:

    1. It’s available on select Samsung Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players. This requires you to download a Hulu Plus app from the Samsung app store.

    2. It’s available on the iPad. You can access it via Wi-fi or 3G.

    3. It’s available for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and third-generation iPod Touch. Again, you can stream over 3G or Wi-Fi.

    4. Subscribers will be able to stream all native HD content in 720p high definition.

    5. It costs $9.99 a month.

    Note: It’s available for Mac/PC as well

    Hulu Plus - Pay for Hulu

    "These are the devices shipping with Hulu Plus today," says Hulu CEO Jason Kilar. "But this is just the first step in our mission to bring you TV wherever you are. We are already hard at work on porting Hulu Plus to other devices and platforms, with PlayStation 3 coming soon. But that’s a story for another day."

    It should be very interesting to see how many people are willing to pay $9.99 a month for Hulu plus, especially since much of what is offered is also available through Netflix’s streaming service, which is available for free along with Netflix’s one-disc-at-a-time plan for $8.99 a month (without ads).

    By the way, you have to be invited to use Hulu Plus right now.

  • Hulu Gossip: Subscription Service Might Debut Next Week

    Hulu Gossip: Subscription Service Might Debut Next Week

    Speculation about Hulu’s subscription service is beginning to feel never-ending; inaccurate rumors concerning the date of its arrival and other details have been circulating for far too long.  But one new report indicates that a beta test of the subscription service might finally begin next week, and another hints that a deal with PlayStation is in the making.

    HuluLet’s start with the first tale.  Peter Kafka reported, "The video web site is finalizing its plans to launch its subscription service, and people familiar with the company say a beta test of ‘Hulu Plus’ could launch as early as next week."

    Something like 10,000 volunteers would then be able to pay $9.95 a month to see more shows and access Hulu with more devices (like the iPad), according to Kafka.

    Also, according to Andy Fixmer and Cliff Edwards, people might get the chance to access it using the PlayStation 3.  The pair wrote, "Sony Corp. is close to an agreement to carry a paid TV service from Hulu LLC, operator of the second-largest video website, on its PlayStation 3 game console, two people with knowledge of the talks said. . . .  The partnership could be announced as soon as next week . . ."

    So, one way or another, it looks like a substantial Hulu-related development may soon occur.

    If not, well, losing everyone’s interest is at least one strategy Hulu can use to ensure expectations are low when it makes a move.

  • YouTube Has Record Month In May

    YouTube Has Record Month In May

    During the month of May 183 million U.S. Internet users watched online video, according to the latest figures from comScore.

    YouTube saw record levels of viewing activity during the month with an all-time high of 14.6 billion videos viewed and surpassing 100 videos per viewer for the first time.

    U.S. Internet users watched nearly 34 billion videos in May, with Google sites leading the way with 14.6 billion videos, representing 43.1 percent of all videos viewed online. YouTube account for the majority of videos viewed at the property.

    Online-Video-May

    Hulu took the second spot with 1.2 billion videos, or 3.5 percent of all online videos viewed. Microsoft sites ranked third with 642 million (1.9%), followed by Vevo with 430 million (1.3%) and Viacom Digital with 347 million (1%).

    Google sites attracted 144.6 million unique viewers during the month (101.2 videos per viewer), followed by Yahoo sites with 46 million viewers (7.3 videos per viewer), and Vevo closely trailing with 45.6 million viewers (9.4 videos per viewer). Vevo moved up one spot in the May ranking to the third position.

    Top-Video-Properties

    In May, Tremor Media ranked as the top video ad network with a potential reach of 102.8 million viewers, or 56.2 percent of the total video viewing audience. ScanScout Network ranked second with a potential reach of 99.3 million viewers (54.3 percent penetration) followed by YuMe Video Network with 87.5 million viewers (47.8 percent).

    Other highlights from the comScore report include:

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

    *The average Hulu viewer watched 27.0 videos, totaling 2.7 hours of video per viewer.

    *The duration of the average online video was 4.3 minutes.

     

     

     

  • Hulu Subscription Service Launch Said To Be Month Or Two Away

    Hulu Subscription Service Launch Said To Be Month Or Two Away

    While rumors about making people pay to use Hulu have been circulating for what feels like forever, a subscription service may, for better or worse, finally materialize this summer.  New rumors put it a "month or two" out, and indicate that Xbox and iPad compatibility are also on the way.

    HuluReuters talked to several people who opted not to have their names printed, and the good news is that not everything is supposed to be locked behind a pay wall.  Hulu "will continue to offer newer episodes of shows like Fox’s ‘Glee’ free of charge, but it will also charge viewers a monthly fee to see older episodes and other content, two of the sources said."

    Which is pretty much in line with other stories that have circulated from time to time, really.

    The more interesting info is the "month or two" timeframe, then, and a tidbit about the subscription service being "rolled out on multiple devices," including the Xbox and iPad.

    It’s not hard to imagine that the service would achieve some success with owners of those devices, since they’ve already opted to pay hundreds of dollars for the sake of being entertained.  Or it might not, since tech-savvy individuals are more likely to be familiar with "alternative" ways of viewing content.

    The E3 Expo is scheduled to take place between June 15th to 17th, though, and that means a prime opportunity to announce a Hulu-Xbox deal is right around the corner.  Stay tuned.

  • Hulu Users Watched 1 Billion Videos In March

    More than 180 million U.S. Internet users watched online video in March, according to the latest research from comScore.

    YouTube delivered video to more than 135 million viewers during the month, reaching 3out of every 4 online video viewers at an average of 96 videos per viewer.

    Internet users watched a total of 31.2 billion videos in March, with Google sites ranking as the top video property with 13.1 billion videos, representing 41.8 percent of all videos viewed online.

    Hulu ranked second with 1.1 billion videos, or 3.4 percent of all online videos viewed. Microsoft sites took the third spot with 655 million (2.1%), followed by Yahoo sites with 478 million (1.5%) and CBS Interactive with 457 million (1.5%).

    Online-Video-March

    More than 180 million viewers watched an average of 173 videos per view during the month. Google sites pulled in 136 million unique viewers during the month, followed by Yahoo sites with 56.2 million viewers (8.5 videos per viewer) and CBS Interactive with 46.7 million viewers (9.8 videos per viewer).

    Unique-Viewers-by-Property

    Tremor Media was the top video ad network with a potential reach of 96.5 million viewers, or 53.5 percent of the total viewing audience. Adconion Video Network ranked second with a potential reach of 81.6 million viewers (45.2 % of the total video viewing audience) trailed by Advertising .com video Network with 80.8 million viewers (44.8%).
     

     

     

  • Hulu’s UK Expansion Plans Fall Apart

    Hulu’s UK Expansion Plans Fall Apart

    The only country mentioned by name in Hulu’s terms of service document is the United States, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.  Hulu is said to have abandoned plans to offer content to individuals in the UK.

    Hulu Logo

    Hulu’s negotiations with UK broadcasters like ITV and Channel 4 have failed, according to Emma Barnett.  It seems that ITV is interested in building an online video player of its own, while other companies weren’t comfortable with letting Hulu sell advertising inventory around their content.

    This may or may not come as a surprise.  Hulu’s expansion into the UK has been in the works for quite some time, and the rumor mill had it on the verge of occurring more than once.  But it’s of course often not a good sign when what’s supposed to be a sure thing takes months and months to hammer out.

    So Hulu’s done bargaining for now.  Barnett wrote that "a source close to Hulu" said, "Hulu has been forced to walk away."

    Still, it’s possible that shows like Arrested Development and Firefly will become more accessible to folks in the UK at some point, considering that the anonymous source added, "But it remains hopeful that it can have a UK presence in the future – when the broadcasters realise they need to be more flexible with their business models."

  • Hulu Fee Test Rumored To Begin Next Month

    Hulu Fee Test Rumored To Begin Next Month

    Sorry, online TV fans, but heavy Hulu users might at last be asked to fork over some money.  A new rumor has indicated that Hulu will begin testing a subscription service next month, and that the monthly fee attached to this service will be a not-inconsiderable $9.95.

    Hulu Logo

    Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James spoke to "people with knowledge of the plans," and reported afterward that the experiment could begin as soon as May 24th.

    With regards to the specifics, they then continued, "Under the proposal, Hulu would continue to provide for free the five most recent episodes of shows like Fox’s ‘Glee,’ ABC’s ‘Lost’ or NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live.’  But viewers who want to see additional episodes would pay $9.95 a month to access a more comprehensive selection, called Hulu Plus . . ."

    Reactions to this idea haven’t been too positive so far.  Some people say they have no need to watch anything beyond a show’s five most recent episodes (they just use Hulu to catch the occasional missed installment), and so call the plan pointless.  Others are flat-out opposed to the idea of paying for the content, and would rather go the piracy route.

    It’s probably important to note, then, that Hulu turned a profit in the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of this year, meaning the site shouldn’t be in danger of going out of business if the experiment isn’t successful.

  • Google And Hulu Top Video Properties In February

    U.S. Internet users watched 28.1 billion videos in February, with Google sites leading the way as the top video property wit 11.9 billion videos, accounting for 42.5 percent of all videos viewed online, according to the latest report from comScore.

    YouTube accounted for more than 99 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Hulu ranked second with 912.5 million videos, representing 3.2 percent of all online videos viewed. Microsoft sites landed in the third spot with 623 million (2.2%), trailed by Yahoo sites with 455 million (1.6%) and Turner Network with 318 million (1.1%).

    comScore-Online-Video

    More than 174 million viewers watched an average of 161 videos per viewer during the month of February. Google sites attracted 132.2 million unique viewers during the month (93.9 videos per viewer), followed by Yahoo sites with 53.5 million viewers (8.5 videos per viewer) and CBS Interactive with 45.3 million viewers (6.4 videos per viewer). The average Hulu viewer watched 23.3 videos during the month, representing another all time high for the property.

    Unique-Viewers

    In February, Tremor Media ranked as the leading video ad network with a potential reach of 81.7 million viewers, or 46.9 percent of the total video viewing audience. YuMe Video Network ranked second with a potential reach of 75.5 million viewers (43.3% penetration) followed closely by Advertising.com Video Network with 74.8 million viewers (42.9%).

    Other key findings from comScore include:

    *83.1% of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.

    *132.4 million viewers watched 11.9 billion videos on YouTube (89.5 videos per viewer).

    *The length of the average online video was 4.3 minutes.
     

     

     

  • Hulu Cops To Two Straight Quarters Of Profitability

    Never mind the ever-present threat of a pay wall, or the fact that Comedy Central’s reclaimed The Daily Show and The Colbert Report; Hulu seems to be doing quite well for itself.  The company’s released some figures that suggest it’s in solid shape, financially.

    Hulu Logo

    In 2009, Hulu apparently took in over $100 million in revenue, which is rather impressive.  And it’s making money roughly twice as fast in 2010, judging from an estimate that it’ll hit the same mark by the middle of this year.

    Of course, bringing in cash isn’t the same thing as keeping it, especially since Hulu’s bandwidth costs must be considerable.  But Hulu managed to make a profit in the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of this year, with no end in sight.

    These facts may help keep Hulu as it is, since introducing a subscription model could upset the balance that’s been established.  Or at the least, if a subscription model is introduced, it’s now more likely that it’ll only restrict access to new content, leaving networks’ shows and some cable channels’ shows watchable by everyone.

    Anyway, becoming profitable is a major achievement on Hulu’s part.

  • Nielsen: Online Video Usage Significantly Up YOY

    Glass-half-full and glass-half-empty types, prepare to be split.  New stats from Nielsen indicate that February of 2010 was a great month for the online video industry compared to February of 2009.  Last month was a little bit rotten compared to January of 2010, however.

    The chart below shows how the big-picture data categories played out.  "Unique Viewers" and "Total Streams" made the most progress year-over-year, even as "Total Streams" and "Streams per Viewer" slipped the most month-over-month.  You’ll see the YOY gains are generally bigger than the MOM losses, at least.

    As for how some specific brands performed between January and February, YouTube lost ground in terms of unique viewers, video streams, and time spent per viewer (-3.4 percent, -10.7, and -3.6 percent, respectively).  Hulu only slid in terms of unique viewers (-7.4 percent), while making small increases elsewhere.

    At the same time, Facebook pulled in some more unique viewers (4.7 percent), and is actually coming somewhat close to matching Yahoo in this category.  Also, the CNN Digital Network and Microsoft’s sites racked up big gains on the unique viewers and video streams fronts (20+ percent in both cases).

    Finally, on a somewhat related note, WebProNews will be generating some video of our own as we’re in Austin to cover SXSW.  Look for live video in addition to our traditional recorded coverage.

  • 24% Of Households Have a TV Connected To The Internet

    Nearly a quarter (24%) of all U.S. households have a television connected to the Internet, according to a new report from the Leichtman Research Group (LRG).

    The report found consumers connect to the Internet via variety of devices including a video game console, a Blu-Ray player, or a compatible TV.  While Internet connectivity has become a common built-in feature in many devices, consumers are just beginning to use this feature to watch video from the Internet.

    Overall, just 1 percent of adults watch video from the Internet via one of these devices daily, and 5 percent weekly. Usage leans heavily towards young men, with 16 percent of men ages 18-34 watching video from the Internet via one of these connected devices weekly, compared to 3 percent weekly use among all others.

    Bruce-Leichtman "Despite speculation that consumers are ‘cutting the cord’ to cable, satellite or Telco video services and choosing to watch video exclusively online or through other alternatives, there remains little evidence of this being a trend," said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc.

    "Emerging video services do not necessarily create either/or scenarios in decisions to subscribe to a video service or not. Rather, they create opportunities and trade-offs in how, when, what, and where to consume the increasing video entertainment options."

    Among households with a TV connected to the Internet, 20 percent do so via a game console, 8 percent have an Internet connected TV set, and 6 percent have a Blu-Ray player with an Internet connection.

    Just 5 percent of those online at home strongly agree that they would be willing to pay $9.95 per month to watch TV shows from a service like Hulu, while 81 percent strongly disagree.

    Other findings include:

      *55% of Netflix subscribers report that they used the "Watch Instantly" feature in the past month — overall, 1% of all adults use Netflix’s "Watch Instantly" daily, and 4% weekly

     *Overall, 3% of adults watch a full length TV show online daily, and 11% weekly

    *Among all individuals online at home, 4% strongly agree that they would consider disconnecting their TV service to just watch video online — compared to 3% last year, and 4% two years ago
     

  • Hulu To Lose Comedy Central’s Stewart, Colbert

    Two of the most popular shows on Hulu will be pulled off the site after March 9th.  Hulu announced late yesterday that it and Comedy Central have been unable to reach an agreement concerning the distribution of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

    This doesn’t seem to signal a complete estrangement between the two companies; in fact, Hulu’s Andy Forssell wrote on the corporate blog, "[W]e are continuing to talk to the Comedy Central folks about a number of opportunities.  They’re a great team and I’m confident that we’ll be working with them in multiple ways in the future."

    Also, Hulu will direct users who search for the affected programs to TheDailyShow.com and TheColbertReport.com, two Comedy Central properties that will continue to make clips available for free.

    Still, it’s hard to imagine that this would have occurred if both parties were completely satisfied.  Perhaps Comedy Central wasn’t impressed by the size of Hulu’s audience.  Or maybe they couldn’t agree over a revenue split.  Either way, it’s a fact that Hulu’s trying to obtain more content, not shrink its existing library.

    Hulu execs must be hoping that the site doesn’t lose too many viewers due to this loss, and praying that the development doesn’t represent the start of a trend.