Hulu confirms plans to launch live TV streaming in 2017

Just two days after the first rumors surfaced, Hulu on Wednesday confirmed that it will be launching a live TV streaming service sometime in 2017, creating a tougher competitive landscape for anything Apple might have planned.

Word came from CEO Mike Hopkins, speaking at today's Hulu Upfronts in New York, TechCrunch reported. The executive didn't offer many details, but promised the service would have channels from both broadcast and cable networks, including news and sports.

People will also have some access to on-demand content, Hopkins said. He didn't elaborate, however, on whether a live TV subscription would include the same catalog available to present-day Hulu subscribers.

Rumors have hinted that Hulu co-owners Disney and Fox will be the main content providers, with options including ABC, ESPN, and Disney Channel, plus Fox, Fox News, FX, and Fox's national and regional sports channels. Wall Street Journal sources indicated that another co-owner, NBCUniversal, hadn't agreed to license any channels, but Variety later said that "active negotiations" were in early stages. NBCUniversal could fill some critical gaps in Hulu's lineup, among them not just NBC itself but channels like MSNBC and Syfy.

More details will be revealed later in 2016, Hopkins added.

Pricing remains the biggest question. One Journal source suggested it would be close to $40 per month, but that might potentially kill interest given cheaper plans from Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue, unless full on-demand content is attached.

Apple has allegedly been aiming at a service costing less than $30 per month, and could potentially launch it in September. Talks are thought to have stalled though, the main problem rumored to be providers refusing to exclude some channels from a "skinny" content bundle.

19 Comments

dipdog3 89 comments · 11 Years

About 8 years ago

If they really price it at $40, then they missed the bus.

rogifan_new 4297 comments · 9 Years

Looks like YouTube is working on something too, stickler is they want to charge less than $35 buy are having trouble getting networks to buy in.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-04/youtube-said-to-plan-unplugged-online-tv-service-for-2017

lkrupp 10521 comments · 19 Years

Talk about vaporware! A full year away? That’s like half the age of the universe in tech terms.

freerange 1597 comments · 16 Years

Not appealing at all. I have absolutely no need for fox or Disney, and $40 is absurd. I currently get HBO and showtime through Apple TV which is most of what I need other than my very basic cable bundle which is inexpensive.

rob53 3307 comments · 13 Years

freerange said:

Not appealing at all. I have absolutely no need for fox or Disney, and $40 is absurd. I currently get HBO and showtime through Apple TV which is most of what I need other than my very basic cable bundle which is inexpensive.

You need to understand which channels Disney and Fox own. Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_Disney for everything Disney owns or is a partner in. It's more than just the Disney channel. The same with 21st Century Fox, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_21st_Century_Fox. Some of these are already available on AppleTV. If all you watch is HBO and (maybe) broadcast channels, then that's fine. As for the $40, I'd need to know if that includes every Disney and Fox channel, including ESPN and Fox Sports, especially out of area sporting events (I won't hold my breath on that one). If that $40 also includes everything Hulu Plus already offers, then it might be even better and all Apple would need is a Hulu AppleTV app.