News Corp Reveals Video Website Name
News Corporation and NBC Universal will launch the beta version of their video website Hulu in October, although no date has been given for a formal release.
Hulu, which was originally announced in March under the name Newsite, will feature programmes from the two companies’ back catalogues including Heroes, 24 and The Simpsons, as well as movies such as Borat.
The service will be advertiser funded, with Cisco, Intel, General Motors and Cadbury-Schweppes already signing up to it.
Hulu will also be offering content through its distribution partner sites: AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo.
Jason Kilar, Hulu chief executive, said: “Why Hulu? Objectively, Hulu is short, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and rhymes with itself. Subjectively, Hulu strikes us as an inherently fun name, one that captures the spirit of the service we’re building.
“Our hope is that Hulu will embody our (admittedly ambitious) never-ending mission, which is to help you find and enjoy the world’s premier content when, where and how you want it.”
Speaking at the recent MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, Janus Friis, founder of Joost, spoke about how the IPTV service will provide content providers with new opportunities without spelling the end of traditional TV (see Joost To Provide New Opportunities For Content Owners).
Hulu: www.hulu.com