Hulu Plus

Comcast’s Netflix Killer Isn’t One Yet. But It Could Be.

Peter Kafka in Media on February 22 at 7:39 am PT

Comcast won’t sell you its new Web video service unless you’re a Comcast cable subscriber. But it could change that overnight.

Hulu’s Alien MushyMush Plot Is Back for the Super Bowl With Will Arnett

Arik Hesseldahl in Media on January 31 at 2:32 pm PT

What’s better than mushymush? Much more #Mushymush.

Hulu’s Jason Kilar: We — And I — Are Here for the Long Haul

Liz Gannes in Dive Into Media on January 31 at 9:28 am PT

“I think there’s more reason for Hulu to exist now than four and a half years ago,” said Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, who was amiable but guarded onstage at D: Dive Into Media this morning.

Is Dish Punching the Networks With Its Supersized DVR?

Peter Kafka in Media on January 9 at 1:43 pm PT

No new paradigm shifter from the satellite TV guys. But their new autorecording DVR seems like it’s trying to steal some thunder from Hulu, at the very least.

Boxee Sells Live TV (That You Already Get for Free) With a Big Dose of Cord-Cutting Rhetoric

Peter Kafka in Media on November 16, 2011 at 6:07 am PT

A new $50 dongle provides a good opportunity to check in with CEO Avner Ronen and get a state-of-the-state on his business. Short version: Users like his stuff; big TV programmers, not so much.

The Nook Doesn’t Need the Cloud. The Nook Needs the Cloud. Discuss.

Peter Kafka in Media on November 7, 2011 at 11:49 am PT

Unlike Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble’s new tablet isn’t tied to a proprietary cloud service. The bookseller seems to have mixed feelings about it.

News Byte

Verizon Signs On for Fox’s Web TV Pullback Plan

Peter Kafka in Media on October 25, 2011 at 11:31 am PT

Another ally for Fox and its “authentication” strategy. Verizon will be adding its four million FiosTV customers to the Fox plan, which keeps most prime time shows off the Web for eight days except for Hulu Plus customers and certain pay TV subscribers. Also along for the ride, Mediacom, a small regional cable player. Disney’s ABC is expected to adopt a similar strategy. Fox is owned by News Corp., which also owns this Web site.

News Byte

Hulu Says Subscription Service Revenue Climbing

Peter Kafka in Media on October 5, 2011 at 9:30 am PT

Hulu, the video joint venture which may or may not be sold (a new round of bids hit this week), says that its subscription business is growing at a pace that means it will “account for more than half of Hulu’s overall revenues within the next 12 months.” Unlike previous quarterly blog posts, CEO Jason Kilar didn’t provide more specifics on Hulu’s finances; in the past he has said that the Hulu Plus service had more than one million subscribers, and that the company would generate more than $500 million in revenue by the end of 2011. (News Corp., which owns this site, is a Hulu investor/partner).

Now on iTunes, for Free: A Show You Can’t Watch on Fox for a Couple Weeks

Peter Kafka in Media on September 6, 2011 at 4:36 am PT

Fox usually wants you to watch its shows on your TV, not your PC. But for now, it’s happy to let you watch Zooey Deschanel and her pals on “New Girl.”

Fox Starts Its Web Pullback, and ABC Gets Ready to Follow

Peter Kafka in Media on August 16, 2011 at 8:45 am PT

Right now, The Great Free TV Web Pullback of 2011 only affects shows like “Master Chef.” But soon you’re going to have to start waiting to catch up on shows like “Modern Family,” too.