A free Hulu makes the Web great
Nothing casts a chill in the heart of a fancy-free Web surfer than all this talk lately of Hulu incorporating some type of a subscription model.
Yes, you heard me right. That free site of the latest (and even archival) programs you love to watch is trying to figure out how to squeeze a buck or two (or more) out of you each month.
Fight the tyranny of the subscription rate! Free Hulu!
But seriously, Hulu shows some of the best video content on the web. This stuff is in demand and people are watching -- you're telling me they can't command healthy advertising rates due to all their users? Come. On. Or are they just getting greedy?
Here's a Tribune story on the topic, titled For Hulu, Free May Soon Turn Into Free. Looks like whiney cable companies are at least partly behind the push to make people pay for the content. But of course.
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Categories: *NEWS*, For The Home, Media, Web Dev & Apps
Comments
If you have good content that you're delivering in a way people enjoy, why shouldn't they pay an appropriate fee to get it? If people love Hulu, wouldn't they be ok throwing a couple bucks a month at it?
Advertising-only is an unsustainable revenue plan.
The flip side, of course, is that some companies are thinking of charging for content that nobody will pay for (ie New York Times).
Posted by: Jason Rhodes | February 1, 2010 11:26 AM
I think the market will work this out. Hulu is certainly within their rights to attempt to charge a fee for certain shows. What they'll learn is that the market will happily do without access to those shows.
Posted by: dukiebiddle | February 1, 2010 12:20 PM
Personally Hulu can put up a paywall if they want.
I've never bothered to use them because of their insistence that I sit in front of a computer to watch their content. Thanks but I like my TV on my TV.
Posted by: Paul | February 1, 2010 12:39 PM
Paul, I watch Hulu on my TV. That and streaming Netflix are only ways I watch TV, with the exception of football. Of course, even though I think Hulu has the right to charge, if they do charge, I'll just watch streaming Netflix instead. I'm already paying for that and they offer so much more without commercials.
Posted by: dukiebiddle | February 1, 2010 1:48 PM