Hulu: pay for TV shows, watch them in your browser window, NBC profits
- October 30th, 2007
- 6 Comments
Where is it written that new Web services must have stupid names? I refer to Hulu, NBC’s online venture designed to get you to pay more for something that’s freely available over the public airwaves and, for now, doesn’t work with your iPod. Goodness, NBC, that really is in the best interests of the consumer!
I like how the New York Times clarified Hulu for us: it’s not trying to compete with YouTube, but with Joost and other terribly named pay-for-professional-content services.
The comments in the article reflect, I think, a good chunk of Internet users’ opinion on such services. One is one of those militant Slashdot-type guys—I never view ads, I use AdBlock—but the others are a little more rational.
“At the end of the day, people who like TV have no reason to go to Hulu, and people who dislike TV have no reason to go to Hulu. They will dislike Hulu for the same reasons they dislike television - because it’s set up to dictate where and how you can watch. I bet Hulu doesn’t last 18 months.” That’s by someone named Joseph. And he’s right on. I guess you can say the same thing about iTunes, but his first point—Who wants to watch programs loaded up with ads on a webpage loaded up with ads? And no way to download content to watch on other devices? No thanks. If you enjoy that kind of system, you’ve already got television, and with television at least you can hook up a Tivo.—sorta explains the rationale there.
Then there’s “NBC Dunderheads,” which, for all I know, could be Ted CBS hating on the service. But look—”$1.99 from iTunes was very reasonable for SHOWS YOU CAN GET FOR FREE ON TV… Why pay for something that’s free elsewhere? CONVENIENCE… iTunes is CONVENIENT and a REASONABLE price.”
And there you go.
Apparently, NBC and its partners started Hulu because they wanted more money for each downloaded episode and Apple wasn’t willing to budge on the $1.99 price tag. NBC complained that Apple was making money by selling hardware that could play NBC’s junk and NBC wanted a piece of the action. But as someone here pointed out, does NBC make money every time I buy a TV?
And did I say that Hulu is such a stupid name? “Hey man, did you go to Hulu.com last night?”
No.
Making Sense of Hulu [Bits NY Times Blog]
Ginzoepix (Who am I?)
11 months ago
Yes, I have to agree on this, they want to charge for something you can get free online. What they need to do is offer something similar to what you can get free online and put in a little advertisement. Sites like freetvsearch.com will always be much more popular than Hulu, even with just as crappy of a name.
Don Bowman (Who am I?)
11 months ago
So you don’t think hulu Will make it.
Oh how I wish I could make a wager with you.In fact, I challenge you to put up $10,000 at escrow .com and I’ll do the same.If in two years Hulu tanks, I”ll gladly pay. If they are indeed successful, you pay me.
I’d like you to tell us why Hulu won’t make it.
Specifically, why it won’t work? From a business reason, or a content reason or a marketing reason or a distribution or a financial reason. Come on, tell us!
Not just another lame blog rant.
Hey, how about this? If by some small miracle Hulu does make it, how about you quit writing this blog forever? No? I didn’t think so.
You’ll say “I knew they would make it big”
It’s too bad that blogs like yours don’t ever have to stand up to scrutiny, like the real press. It’s obvious by your comments that you don’t even have a rudimentary knowledge of business. Uninformed opinions are like an anus, everybody has one.
I strongly doubt you’ll leave this comment up for long, if at all.
Let me know about that wager.
QwalityGuy (Who am I?)
11 months ago
Don’t we have alternatives besides the iTunes model? NBC/Universal is restricting their customers, but at least there are third party solutions that will allow you to wirelessly stream Hulu and similar content from your PC to your TV. That way, you won’t have to form a huddle in the home office to enjoy the shows with someone else. Plus you’d have the freedom to watch anything available via the Internet at any time.
This, for example: http://www.internetvue.com/iv2020.htm
Slickwilly (Who am I?)
11 months ago
Hey Don Bowman,
I’d seriously like to hear how you figure hulu “will” work? I’d have to agree with Nicholas Deleon on this one - Hulu is a laden with Ads website, that is trying to sell you content that is laden with ads, and isn’t portable. The content also expires That is not a business model I’d put my 10,000 grand bet on.
As Nicholas mentioned, if you have a TV and/or Tivo, you’re going to watch it at home. What does Hulu do that your TV/Tivo combo doesn’t do for you already? And will hulu content go on an IPOD or other portable device? It doesn’t look like it will.
That’s a deal killer for millons of people.
HULU is a greed inspired, quickly created idea that was not thought out properly. Based on past experience with other business models - Hulu is doomed to fail. “How Long before it fails?” is about the only question that is up for debate.
Gale Teschendorf (Who am I?)
4 months ago
Hulu has free content and rents movies and shows.
Who would have thought that Blockbuster would last this long renting movies that will be free on TV in a couple of years.
I see Hulu succeeding with the ads in free content and instant movie rentals. Who will pay for cable TV when you can get it free. Hopefully, many more companies will push the Hulu concept and force Hulu to lower the prices on paid shows and movies.
ranchy (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Your premise doesn’t pass the acid test young man. Firstly, I’m hetero, don’t posses/use/borrow even look at anything that makes Steve Jobs some more money…ever notice the rainbow on the Apple logo. That stuff is for fanboys..like here and gizmodo.
I pay nothing for Hulu…as they say “yer doin it wrong”.
The ads are realatively mimimal…not as minimal as when some kind soul has cropped them out of a DVR recording and put a torrent up for it…but then I don’t wait for it, or have to worry about the Content owners suing me. The Hulu site itself has no ads. It’s not occurred to you that with Digital Broadcast TV mandatory in 8 months, and more InnerWeb options (dare I say like Hulu) cable TV is showing its wear and the Internet its ware. Hulu is far better “all around” than the other options. Hulu would have been spectactular in say the early part of this decade….and Al Gore would have been sucking right up to the Tech Companies and kicking the media companies in the ass to get on board. These seeds WERE planted in the Clinton era. In the Lil Bush era we’ve stepped 1 step forwards and 4 steps backwards in so many aspects of America…especially technology. How’s that Broadband Rural Cooperative (much like the original electricity cooperatives) that Candidate Bush touted in 1999 coming along….guess he’ll get that off the ground mostly completed in the next 7 months. So get off Hulu, dude. Yes it’s put on by media corps. Hell you probably have a myspace page (and Rupert Murdock) makes a penny every time some idiot hits the myspace.com domains. Learn to pick your battles grasshopper, and bet yet, learn there’s far more that you don’t understand than you do.