Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Hulu Adds (Mostly) Ad-Free Subscription Service

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. 

Previously In The News

Senator Warren Calls Out 21st Century Digital Robber Barons

Perhaps no other company embodies the alleged abuse more than Apple. The popular electronics producer has sought to block competition at nearly every turn and through nearly every avenue. According to...

Anxious About Real Estate? 6 Trends Making Housing Worrisome

A survey of 1,250 U.S. adults from Coldwell Banker Real Estate and Parks Associates found 71 percent want “a move-in ready home.” Now 45 percent of those polled said move-in ready could mean new co...

BizTechReports latest analyst roundup features analyst perspective on 4k TV, smart watches, and IoT

Parks Associates: Smart Watch Purchases to Ramp Up Over Next 12 Months, Parks Associates Forecasts —- New research from Parks Associates indicates smart watch adoption has nearly doubled, from 4 perce...

TV Producers Might Delay Shows For Streaming Services

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...