CBS EYES HULU

CBS is not going to become a fourth owner of Hulu, joining the corporate parents of rival networks ABC, NBC, and Fox in the online video venture, but it has reached a non-exclusive agreement to license its library of old shows to Hulu’s subscription service, Hulu Plus, beginning in January. Included in the deal are […]

NETFLIX SHARES CONTINUE TO TUMBLE

Netflix’s free fall continued unabated on Monday as shares closed at $57.75 on the Nasdaq, down an additional 2 percent to a new 52-week low. The company was hit anew with damaging news as Consumer Reports published results of a survey indicating that subscribers to Netflix’s streaming service are generally dissatisfied with it and prefer […]

MOVIE RENTERS SHY AWAY FROM BLOCKBUSTER

Only 13 percent of consumers will rent a movie from a brick-and-mortar video store such as Blockbuster this year as rentals at kiosks and online streaming soar, according to a study by Toronto-based Convergence Consulting Group and reported by Home Media magazine on its website. Streaming video-on-demand from companies such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and […]

HULU TO OFFER FIRST ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES

In what appeared to be a direct response to Netflix’s plans to offer original programming on its streaming video service, rival Hulu said over the weekend that it plans to offer an original TV series, Battleground, on Feb. 14. The series is being made available to both users of its premium $7.99-per-month subscription service, Hulu […]

THE CW STRIKES ANOTHER BIG DEAL — THIS ONE WITH HULU

Two weeks after negotiating a deal with Netflix that was reportedly worth $1 billion, the struggling CW network has closed a five-year deal with Hulu that could be worth a similar amount — or more. While Netflix subscribers will have to wait an entire season before being able to stream CW programs, Hulu Plus subscribers […]

HULU ON THE BLOCK

Disney chief Robert Iger has confirmed recent rumors that the four owners of the Hulu video service, which include Disney (ABC/ESPN), News Corp (Fox), Comcast (NBC) and Providence Equity Partners, are committed to selling the service. Bloomberg News quoted Iger as saying that “the process is underway and there is a lot of interest.” Iger […]

HULU WON’T LOSE ANY OWNERS BUT WILL UNDERGO CHANGE

The three media conglomerates that own Hulu — News Corp, Disney, and Comcast’s NBCUniversal — are going to stick with the online video site — contrary to what several analysts have been predicting — but they might allow fewer shows on Hulu’s free service, restricting them to its monthly Hulu Plus subscription service, the Wall […]

HULU BLOCKS ACCESS VIA RIM’S PLAYBOOK TABLET

Hulu, whose owners include the parent companies of NBC, ABC, and Fox, has blocked content from its side on Research In Motion’s new tablet device, the PlayBook. Research in Motion, which makes the popular BlackBerry “smart” phone, does not allow “apps” to be placed on its primary screen to access paid content but favors open […]

CLASSIC FILMS TO DEBUT ON HULU PLUS

Some of the greatest films ever produced will now become available for streaming on Hulu Plus, the $7.99-per-month subscription service launched last year by Hulu, the company owned jointly by Disney/ABC, Comcast/NBC Universal, News Corp./Fox, and Providence Equity Partners. Hulu said Tuesday that it has signed a deal to bring the highly regarded Criterion Collection […]

U.S. CABLE COMPANIES HAVE NO PLANS TO ADD AL-JAZEERA

The New York Times has polled the leading cable TV providers in the U.S. about their intent to carry al-Jazeera English in light of its much-praised coverage of the Egyptian protests. Most indicated that they had no plans to do so, but Charter Cable said, “We haven’t had any contact with them in the past […]

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