Vessel, the subscription video service from the co-founders and former heads of Hulu, is going ad-free. The San Francisco-based company announced in a blog post Monday that it is offering an ad-free version for all paying subscribers, including those who already pay $2.99 per month and those who opt for for the new $19.99 annual subscription. The news comes months after Hulu launched a similar plan for its paying subscribers (for a fee of $12 per month) and YouTube rolled out its ad-free subscription service Red. Vessel CEO Jason Kilar — also former Hulu CEO — said the company decided to flip the switch on ads because subscribers asked for it. "One of the most popular requests has been for an ad-free experience," Kilar wrote in the blog post. Vessel offers viewers exclusive content up to three days before it's released to the public. "While we are still very much in the early days, we have attracted subscribers from more than 155 countries to our offering of exclusive, early access videos," said Kilar. One of Kilar's goals in launching Vessel was to give digital influencers more up-front guarantees for ad and subscription revenue shares — i.e. bigger paychecks for not much more work. In the blog, Kilar highlighted that this still remains a priority. "Creators leveraging Vessel’s paid, early access service continue to earn more than $50 in revenue per thousand views. "We have been working hard to add more creators and content to Vessel and now proudly offer more than 300,000 videos from over 250 passionately followed content partners (up over 50% since last summer)." Exclusive videos will remain part of the service, however Vessel is also expanding its offerings. "We are also in the process of experimenting with some full-year exclusives," Kilar wrote. "While a modest test, we’re excited to be partnering in this way with creators already on our service, including Linus Media Group, Brittani Louise Taylor and JeromeASF." Vessel also had a huge presence at VidCon 2015, with a huge booth set-up on the Convention Hall floor.Last year, the company had a big debut — rolling out officially in March with videos from GloZell Green, MinutePhysics, FailArmy, Brittani Louise Taylor, Shane Dawson and others. By the end of 2015, Vessel had fallen off the public's radar. By the end of 2015, however, the company had fallen off the public's radar. Some #TeamInternet members were disappointed. “Basically what they’re saying is because someone is paying Vessel money, they are far more superior than the other fans,” one Tumblr user wrote in February of 2015. “What if some fans can’t afford it? What if some fans, like myself, refuse to give into this scheme?” Vessel's app on the iTunes App Store is currently ranked at No. 1,279 in the “Entertainment” category in the U.S., and No. 490 in the same category on Android. Others lost interest, instead latching on to other offerings including YouTube Red, which boasts a robust line-up of new originals featuring stars. Now, with the ad-free option, Vessel is re-shaping its image. Second time may just be the charm. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Vessel, the San Francisco-based video service set up by former co-founders and Hulu CEO , has announced that it is offering an ad-free version for all paying subscribers, driven by customers' requests for "an ad-free experience." The company's early access service enables viewers to access exclusive video content up to three days ahead of public release, and reportedly earns content creators over $50 in revenue per thousand views. The move to go ad-free follows a similarly launched plan at Hulu and YouTube's introduction of its ad-free, Red.