Hulu has announced that a commercial-free subscription option is now available for an additional $4 per month. Currently, subscribers pay 7.99 for a subscription with limited commercials. The commercial-free option will cost 11.99 per month.
Considering Hulu’s aggressive acquisition of original and licensed material – their acquisition of the SVOD rights to hot new movies through EPIX and upcoming original series and event programming (Stephen Kings 11/22/63, for example) – that’s a pretty good deal.
Follow the jump for further details.
HULU ADDS COMMERCIAL-FREE VIEWING
SANTA MONICA, Calif., (September 2, 2015) – Today Hulu is offering a commercial-free option to subscribers. Viewers now have the choice to watch Hulu commercial free for $11.99 per month or with limited commercials for $7.99 per month. Current Hulu subscribers will maintain their existing subscription, but will have the choice to switch to the commercial-free option at any time for an additional $4 per month. For viewers who choose to watch content with limited commercials, Hulu will continue to show fewer commercials than scheduled television.
“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”
Over the last year Hulu has aggressively expanded its content lineup. Most recently, Hulu announced a landmark, multi-year agreement with EPIX that will bring premium and hit films from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount to Hulu for the first time. Hulu also signed groundbreaking licensing deals with networks including AMC, FX and Turner, and acquired the exclusive subscription streaming rights to full libraries of hit broadcast and cable shows including Seinfeld, Empire, Fargo, South Park, CSI, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Nashville, Deadliest Catch, The Last Ship and more. Earlier this year, Hulu also became the only subscription video on-demand service to offer the SHOWTIME® premium service as an add-on directly to subscribers for an additional $8.99 per month.
In addition, Hulu has made a strong investment in its original programming and has greenlit an exciting slate of originals, including the event series 11/22/63 from Stephen King and J.J. Abrams starring James Franco; comedy series Difficult People produced by Amy Poehler with stars Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner; Casual, a comedy series from Oscar®-nominated Director Jason Reitman; The Way (wt), a drama series starring Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan from Jason Katims; the first long-form project from Freddie Wong and the RocketJump team; and season four of the critically-acclaimed comedy The Mindy Project, starring Mindy Kaling.
For viewers who choose the limited commercials viewing option, Hulu remains dedicated to providing a seamless and relevant ad experience by connecting viewers with the right advertisers. Most recently, Hulu announced strong investment in advertising technology with its programmatic offering to deliver the right ad to the right user at the right time.
Since its launch in 2008, Hulu has been at the forefront of entertainment and technology. In 2015, the company announced it had grown to nearly 9 million US subscribers, an overall 50% growth year over year.
About Hulu
Hulu is a premium streaming TV destination that offers thousands of hours of the best of television programming including, premium original content, library series and full seasons of hit series to subscribers across millions of internet-connected devices in the U.S. Since its launch in 2007, Hulu has been at the intersection of entertainment and technology and continues to redefine TV by connecting viewers with the stories they love. http://www.hulu.com