Yahoo News Hulu CEO confirms another major provider for live TV service, teases launch details
Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins shared new details about the company's highly-anticipated new live TV service at CES on Wednesday.
It wasn't quite the full announcement the cord-cutting community has been waiting for, as it was missing definite launch dates and price points, but we do know live TV is coming "in the next few months" for under $40 monthly for two active accounts. Hopkins first confirmed Hulu's foray into live TV last May.
AT CES, Hopkins confirmed the rumors of a content partnership with CBS, which joins Time Warner, 21st Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company in Hulu's stable of live content providers. Notably, CBS isn't available from other cord-cutting solutions like Sling TV.
"I imagine we'll be launching a few other deals closer to launch," Hopkins added, stating that it's too premature to say whether other providers won't be included. He's possibly referring to Comcast, which owns NBC (and, oddly enough, a stake in Hulu) but hasn't been confirmed yet as part of the package. Hopkins did say Hulu is "in active discussions with NBC," but had no details to share about a deal.
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"We can differentiate ourselves around content," he said in reference to other streaming services on the market. "Our internal mission is to reinvent TV."
Local TV providers will be included in the package (from the providers already signed on, of course), but not all local affiliates will be available at the service's launch.
While he wouldn't commit to a specific price point, Hopkins was adamant that the monthly cost of the service will be lower than $40 at launch. That price includes the standard $8 monthly fee for Hulu's already expansive VOD library of titles.
Image: hulu
The service's utility was a major theme of Hopkin's comments. "Experience is important," he said. Without providing much in terms of specifics, he outlined an interface for the service, with live TV and on-demand content integrated together for a seamless viewing experience on TV and mobile devices.
It sounds similar to what's being touted by Sling TV's new AirTV Player — only instead of the broadcast channels coming in through a separate antenna and box package, they're part of the app with no need for any extra hardware.
Hopkins also confirmed a "world class cloud DVR service" will be part of the package. Program downloads for offline viewing, a feature recently debuted by Netflix, won't be included at launch, but they're "on the roadmap."
The live service will be available on all the streaming devices "that matter," but the launch will be limited to a few platforms including Apple TV, Chromecast and Xbox One, with more coming into the fold over time. Most consumers won't need to buy new devices if they already have access to Hulu's service.
For Hopkins, Hulu's live TV service will be a hit for three reasons. It already has a wide subscriber base familiar with its VOD service and setup. Not only that, but the library of current VOD titles give it an additional value that competitors like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, which only offer packages with live TV service, can't match. Finally, he's betting on Hulu's focus on user experience in the service's interface to really make it resonate with consumers.
Will live video put Hulu over the top? Only time will tell — and, you know, actual details about how much it will cost and when it will be available. For now, stay tuned.
