Hello to Hulu

When looking at the current events in the media industry, our team at In Medias Res always keeps an eye out for the many ways that media sources are available to viewers. Today, you don't need to TiVo a show in order to keep up with it. At least, not as long as you have Hulu.

Hulu. a website that has been making selected episodes (and sometimes entire seasons) of television shows available to the masses, is jointly owned by Walt Disney Co, News Corps, and Providence Equity Partners LLC. Its owners had decided to put it up for sale. And now... well, if you were dreaming of owning Hulu, your opportunity has passed. Hulu is off the market and will continue under the same ownership.

What's in store for Hulu? It's best put in this interview with Sam Schechner:

According to the Wall Street Journal, the owners are trying to re-draw the lines of their ownership. Imagine the way US, UK, and Russia drew lines around Germany and Berlin after WW2, and the way they designated who would be in charge of what. Well, hopefully, the overall process will be a lot more cohesive than that. The last thing we need is a "Cold War" of online videos!

Still, the owners (Disney, etc.) failed to find a high bidder that would agree with their terms. Dish Networks and Google were the last two serious contenders. Dish Networks was bidding around $1.9 billion and Google, while offering $4 billion, had its own terms in mind. So the whole deal was thrown out, and Hulu stays under the same ownership- perhaps with redrawn lines.

At In Medias Res, we are excited to see what becomes of Hulu in the long run. As they continue to add more and more content and to seek more Hulu Plus subscribers ($7.99/month gives subscribers more access to shows and movies). But it's still possible that it will change hands down the road. The website may be split between more global media giants when the licensing agreements will be renewed in a few years.