Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins chalked up the exceptions to rights held by studios on select series. “They have other commitments that they couldn’t free them up for a complete commercial-free offering,” he said, adding that the service will clearly delineate the exceptions to users before they stream those series.
Other series that will have pre-roll include four ABC series: “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Agents of SHIELD,” and an NBC series, “Grimm.”
Hulu is making the move in response to subscriber complaints voiced in various forms of consumer research about having to pay yet still watch ads. Earlier this month, a Parks Associates survey found that half of Hulu subscribers have canceled service over the past 12 months, compared to just 9% for Netflix over the same span.
The new subscription option brings Hulu in line with its commercial-free rivals Netflix, which remains several dollars cheaper than Hulu depending on which rate its own subscribers pay, and Amazon Prime, which charges $99 per year for access to its content library in addition to free two-day shipping.
From the article "Hulu Adds (Mostly) Ad-Free Subscription Service" by Andrew Wallenstein.
A recent survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and Parks Associates found Americans are taking a different view about homes that are ready to move into, as an increasing percentage now requires...
The changes are especially noticeable at Hulu, which is owned by parents of the very television networks - Fox, ABC and NBC - threatened by changes in the way we watch TV. Hulu has set itself apart by...
“The connected home has become more data hungry than ever, and video consumption is the primary driver,” says Parks Associates. “Consumers are streaming video to every available screen from an increas...
Wireless home security sales are increasing, as almost one-half of home security owners in the U.S. have a home security system that connects wirelessly to sensors, according market research firm, Par...