Hulu Could Launch In The UK
Hulu, the yet to launch online video site from News Corp and NBC Universal in the US, is getting ready to launch in the UK, in a move that could be seen as a challenge to Joost.
Hulu (see News Corp Reveals Video Website Name), which is still in private trials, and Joost (see Joost To Provide New Opportunities For Content Owners) are expected to at least match YouTube’s success due to their as-yet-unrivalled line-up of professional content from the Hollywood studios.
The strength of the proposed content offering on Hulu, which features programming from the likes of MGM, Sony, E! and National Geographic, is expected to provide stiff competition for sites such as ITV.com (see ITV.com Ads Music Arm To Site) and 4oD (see Channel 4 Signs On-Demand Content Deal), which feature much UK-origin content.
Hulu is remaining tight-lipped about its specific plans to launch the service beyond the US.
Christina Lee, Hulu director of corporate communications, told Media Week: “Hulu is working with content partners to acquire distribution rights and licences to bring the Hulu.com experience to users in additional markets globally.”
In the US, Hulu will be a free, ad-supported service.
Lee also noted that the platform would seek to carry ads in a low-key manner. She said: “At trial, Hulu offers sponsor cards before a video, interstitial ads during normal commercial breaks, in-page banner ads and overlay ads.”
Recently, Graham Lovelace criticised the current crop of IPTV services at the ASI conference in Barcelona, indicating he thought companies were just developing the technology for the sake of it, and that “these mediums are not the future” of television.
He said Joost is “not great” because “there is simply not much content.” Sending clips to a friend seemed to be a rather weak selling point, he added. “These companies have become over-excited by the technology, not by what the consumer needs. Many of these services are just video clips; they are complementary to TV, but not TV, and certainly not a replacement for TV,” he stated (see IPTV Services Criticised At ASI Conference).
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