Hulu’s UK launch is company’s “number one priority”

Hulu, NBC Universal and News Corp’s US Online TV platform, has confirmed plans to launch in the UK saying it is the company’s “number one priority”.

Speaking at the IEA’s Future of Broadcasting conference in London, Hulu’s SVP Johannes Larcher said the UK is “very ready” for a service like Hulu, according to reports.

“We are talking to everyone. UK is our number one priority in terms of international expansion. We are very interested in the UK. We hope in the very near future we will have some plans to reveal for the UK,” he said.

Larcher also hinted that the collapse of Project Kangaroo, the joint VoD venture from BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4, which was blocked by the Competition Commission earlier this year, could result in “some opportunities [Hulu] would like to exploit”.

However, Larcher wouldn’t reveal details of the platform’s launch activities or comment on the company’s reported disagreement with potential content suppliers, such as ITV and the BBC.

It is understood that Hulu wants control over ad sales around its content but broadcasters have argued for full or partial control.

However, Larcher did say that from conversations with media buyers, he believes there is significant demand and “value” for Hulu’s upcoming UK launch.

Although he didn’t mention a launch date, he did confirm that the service would be different to its US offering – “We will localise our model so we are not perceived as a US company”.