Hulu content partners continue to hint at subscription model

Hulu May Start Charging for Content in 2010 [Mashable]

The free ride for popular long-form online streaming site Hulu may be coming to an end next year. Yesterday, News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey told a meeting of broadcasters that, "It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online." News Corp. is a content partner in Hulu, along with NBC Universal and Disney.

Carey went on to tell broadcasters that Hulu would probably develop a subscription plan for users as early as next year.

The strategy needs to be more than just fighting piracy and Google, he says. "I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value," Carey said. "Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business."

Currently, Hulu's video content is ad-supported and free to users. Cable operators, including Comcast and Time Warner, are working on their own long-form streaming sites for their customers that would allow access to cable content from a broadband connected computer. Comcast has indicated that their streaming site will be available to Comcast video and broadband customers by the end of this year.

Comments

[twitter.com/jabailo]

Great idea...I love Hulu.

I'm currently a subscriber to Netflix for DVDs and Online and also to Rhapsody.

However, I am a fan of Linux and I can play Hulu DRM content on my Linux machine.

Hulu should make more Online movies available, and maybe music because they support the Linux market unlike the other content providers.

I think paid subscription content, for a reasonable fee, is absolutely the future and a very good way to bring money into the content providers and artists from the Internet.

[JDF]

Terrible idea. I would never pay for online content that was previously free of charge. It's offensive and will fail.

[Rob Jones]

I had to cancel my Insight cable television service recently because I couldn't afford it anymore. I'm just thankful that Hulu exists until I can get an alternative solution.

I was paying for the Classic and Basic together which amounts to about $60+ per month for analog cable. Way over priced. I will be replacing it with a TiVo HD that accepts digital OTA (over the air) antenna. No more monthly fees.

Insight still gets my money for broadband but that's it.

And Hulu announced after this article posted that they are not moving to pay for model to replace what they currently have, it would be more of a additional features for some money. For now and the immediate future Hulu will remain free.