Roger Fingas
Hulu on Monday annouced a deal to bring NBCUniversal on board for its upcoming live TV service, securing the last of the four major U.S. broadcast networks plus its associated specialty channels, such as Syfy and Telemundo.
The service will now launch with over 50 channels, Hulu said. Some other NBCUniversal offerings will include Bravo, USA, E!, Sprout, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBCSN.
Various local NBC and Telemundo affiliates will be on tap as well, but at first just in five or six major markets. Coverage should improve on a weekly basis, according to TechCrunch.
The new Hulu service could debut as soon as this month and cost under $40 for a package that also bundles a full slate of on-demand material — an industry first. A separate live-only tier is supposedly under consideration.
Other features may include cloud DVR support, joining rivals Sling TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. Full DVR functionality — even fast-forward — could be a paid extra.
Initial platforms will include the Apple TV, iPhones and iPads, Android devices, and Microsoft's Xbox. Other options such as Roku and PlayStation will likely follow in short order if they're not ready at launch.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
15 Comments
Apple, give up while you're way behind. /s
But seriously, why has Apple failed to sign the 4 main broadcast networks, Eddy?!
Why the heck can't Apple get this done? What is Eddy Cue paid to do!?
Isn’t Hulu a jointly supported online platform by the major networks already? The biggest problem I have with Hulu is their audio which is strictly 2 channel PCM. I subscribe to the higher tier with no or limited advertising.
For Apple, the key is somebody=anybody getting a great TV subscription package online to compete with the cable monopolies. Apple earns its profit by selling the devices over which the video content is streamed: iPhone, iPad, AppleTV.