Hulu Is Said to Plan Full Cable and Broadcast Channel Streaming
Hulu Is Said to Plan Full Cable and Broadcast Channel Streaming
AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.A scene from “11.22.63” with Sarah Gadon and James Franco, an original series on Hulu. The streaming service is working to bundle broadcast and cable channels.Credit...Alex Duka/HuluMay 2, 2016Hulu, until now primarily a rerun service for episodes of broadcast television shows, is working to create a more robust offering that would stream entire broadcast and cable channels to consumers for a monthly fee.The still-unnamed service was described by three executives with direct knowledge of Hulu’s plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Mike Hopkins, the chief executive of Hulu, may discuss the concept at Hulu’s presentation for advertisers on Wednesday.Hulu is planning to introduce the service early next year. While exact pricing details are still being determined, the new service is expected to cost about $40 a month.News of the service was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.Hulu wants to offer what is known as a “skinny bundle” of broadcast and cable channels — in particular those operated by 21st Century Fox, the Walt Disney Company and Comcast’s NBCUniversal. Those three media companies co-own Hulu.“We believe the important takeaway is that this is a way for programmers to take more control of their destiny in a fragmented pay TV ecosystem with heightened risk of ‘skinny’ bundle inclusion/exclusion,” Steven Cahall, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said in a research note on Monday.Two executives described the development as part of an effort to rethink the way TV companies approach streaming video to make the experience easier for viewers.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT