While Google-owned YouTube is undoubtedly one of the Internet’s most popular and widely visited media destinations, News Corp. and NBC Universal have joined forces in an attempt to slam a sizeable dent in the video-sharing website’s fan base.
News Corp. and NBC Universal join forces to launch free video site Hulu. Credit: Hulu.
That collaboration arrives in the form of Hulu, a joint media venture that debuts online today and offers visitors access to media content from the likes of the Warner Bros. Television Group, Lionsgate and various well known sporting leagues.
In terms of programming available from launch, Hulu is ready to deliver full-length episodes taken more than 250 television-based series including Bionic Woman, The Simpsons, Prison Break and The Office, as well as more than 100 movie titles such as Cohen Brothers comedy The Big Lebowski, animated hit Ice Age and the award-winning Sideways.
Sporting coverage will be provided via licensing partnerships with the professional NBA basketball and NHL ice hockey leagues.
Unlike YouTube, which predominantly hosts user-created video clips, Hulu will offer users professionally-created content via a clean interface that sees media easy to consume and available in a high quality format.
Ahead of Hulu’s full launch, CEO Jason Kilar has stated that the service has transcended its lack of marketing with its private pool of testers having already generated more than five million viewers over the last four weeks alone.
Not just limited to its core online home, Hulu’s content is also open for distribution through America Online (AOL), Microsoft’s MSN, News Corp.’s MySpace social network, Fancast.com and Yahoo Inc.
While Hulu has already secured a wealth of programming from Warner Bros TV, Sony TV, MGM, Lionsgate and NBC Universal, it is keen to point out that ongoing talks with media behemoth Viacom Inc and CBS Corp should see its already impressive content selection grow even further in the near future.
Click here to visit Hulu and see what all the premium, on-demand, free or ad-supported fuss is about.
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