TV and movie streaming company service Hulu made several announcements at the Upfront event in New York today. The company said that the subscriber count for Hulu Plus is now at 6 million and that it would be tripling its marketing spend on Hulu Originals. Hulu Plus is now available through 400 million Internet-connected devices in the U.S., including the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Chromecast, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
Hulu ordered a second season of Deadbeat, which was one of the most watched shows in its first few weeks since airing. Hulu also set the premiere dates for the second season returns of The Awesomes, Quick Draw and East Los High. Behind the Mask, a documentary series about sports mascots, received the first Emmy nomination for a Hulu Original.
Starting this summer, Hulu will offer free access to full episodes on mobile devices of select TV shows without requiring a Hulu Plus subscription. The free TV shows will be "ad-supported," but users will still have a bigger selection with the paid Hulu Plus subscription. In the past, Hulu allowed access to short video clips for non-paying mobile users. Hulu did not list how many shows or episodes will be available for free. Later this month, Hulu will be launching a revamped Hulu Plus iPhone app. "With our re-imagining of mobile viewing, we want you, our viewers, to have more access to the content you love, right at your fingertips," said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins in a blog post.
At the event, Hulu also unveiled three new ad experiences:
1.) In-stream purchase units
In-stream purchase units will be available later this summer with Pizza Hut as the launch partner. When this type of ad launches, consumers will be able to make a Pizza Hut order for pick-up or delivery without having to leave the Hulu environment. After the order is placed, the viewer can pick up where they left off on the content being watched.
2.) Cross platform interactive ads
The cross platform interactive ad platform will use algorithms to predict the appropriate audience for each brand. For example, Corona ads will likely be displayed to an audience that is age 21+ and acknowledged that beer ads are relevant to their interests. The cross platform interactive ad platform will be launching later this summer with Corona Extra as the launch partner.
3.) Hulu 360 ads
Hulu is working with Immersive Media to tailor video ads based on the device that a viewer is using when watching a program. The device-specific video ads will be called Hulu 360 ads.
What I am most excited about is the growth of Hulu Originals. While jogging on the treadmill, I spend a lot of time watching programs on Hulu Plus that are not available on other platforms. As a fan of satire and slapstick comedies, I am especially looking forward to the debut of the Hulu Original called The Hotwives of Orlando, which is debuting on July 15th.
Are you a Hulu Plus subscriber? What do you like and dislike about the service? Let us know in the comments below.
