Hulu will start to lose new NBC content in September
Old shows will remain, but Hulu will no longer get new episodes the day after they air
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Another big change is about to happen in the streaming landscape, and like a lot of these big changes (if not all of them), the big loser is going to be all of the poor idiots like us who thought we could sneak on by with only one or two subscriptions. The latest shift is one that has been in the works for a long time: Hulu will officially lose new, next-day episodes of NBC shows in September. That comes from IndieWire, and the reason it’s happening now is because of the fact that Hulu is owned by Disney and NBCUniversal—with Mickey Mouse holding a majority stake.
Disney is riding high, happily taking over all media in the United States, while NBCUniversal is getting more desperate for reasons to convince people to sign up for Peacock (the streaming service that didn’t grow at all last quarter). Thus, it is in nobody’s best interest (except, again, for poor idiots like us) to make NBC content readily available on Hulu, and so there will soon be less of it.
Having access to stuff from regular TV used to be the big selling point for Hulu when it’s only other real competitor was Netflix, but when NBC pulls out, it will only be left with ABC and Fox in terms of shows that air on their networks and are then available to stream the next day. Hulu will reportedly still have “certain NBCUniversal programming” available to stream for the foreseeable future, but you’ll need Peacock if you want to watch, say, a new episode of Saturday Night Live.
IndieWire points out that Hulu is the rare streaming service that actually makes a profit, but the story also argues that the writing might be on the wall for Hulu to get shut down in the next few years. When Disney took over the majority of the service, it established a deal with NBCUniversal owner Comcast that involved Disney agreeing to buy up Comcast’s remaining stake in Hulu for a minimum of $27.5 billion if—by January of 2024—Comcast wants out of the Hulu business.
Pair that big price tag just to keep Hulu afloat with Disney’s increasing willingness to put R-rated content on Disney+, and Hulu seems less and less necessary (in a depressing and bleak capitalist sort of way). Apparently using a service, liking what it offers, and giving money to the people who own it is just not enough to keep it alive anymore.
That’s all guesswork, though. What we do know for now is that new episodes of NBC stuff will no longer be available to stream on Hulu starting next month.
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2021 Hulu content onwards has been landing on DisneyPlus outside of the USA (under the Star banner, just watched Prey this weekend) so it seems that in the US Hulu stuff will just be folded into D+. I doubt they’d pull the plug on all the Hulu content as there’s a new Futurama for 2023 anyway so it needs to go somewhere.
It’s just new NBC content that’s leaving Hulu, and that’s because it’s moving to Peacock.
We peacock content.
What? You say the peacock? That’s insane!
Always got a chuckle over “Pam & Tommy, now on Disney+” commercials
Maybe any one megacorporation shouldn’t be allowed to own most and/or all of more than one streaming service??
Heh, looks like we’re headed back to broadcast tv standards—-IIRC, a network like NBC cannot own more than like 2 production studios or something like that. Or at least it used to be that way. (its been more than a couple of decades since my college broadcasting course, lol).
a network could only own 2 channels in a local access area. if memory serves the weird al movie UHF uses this as a plot point.
I remember that vaguely, but I could’ve swore there was something about limitations on broadcasting stuff your “owned” production studios manufacture, which is why sometimes you see original, first run content with “CBS xxx studios” on other networks like Fox, NBC, ABC, etc.
I didn’t realize Hulu was in danger of being shut down. I really like Hulu.
Same. I’ve had or have Hulu, Netflix, Prime, and Peacock. I find Hulu’s user interface to be easiest to navigate. I find Peacock to be the least intuitive.
Will Disney still need Hulu for ABC and Fox network content?
Disney owns ABC. Not sure where Fox content will go.
Netflix. It all ends up here at the end.
All new tabs on Disney+?
Hulu is interesting in that it was almost set up as a Mexican stand off from studios at the time. When it started it was a 33 1/3 % share from ABC, NBC, and Fox Studios as a “hey let’s just all throw all our in season shows on one site and not compete”. When Disney bought Fox Studios it launched them into an almost 67% share of the company. Combo of studios realizing people will pay good money for any streaming service, and Disney wanting its own branded streaming service may very well lead to the death of Hulu.
Disney may have been willing to put Deadpool on Disney+, but I have seen nothing to indicate that they are talking about moving next-day Grey’s Anatomy and the FX on Hulu stuff to the other service, plus there are all the Hulu series they do on their own and it is most likely more profitable to have people pay for two services, even if there’s a bundle discount, rather than have them pay for just one.As for the NBC content, the first couple of seasons of The Blacklist streamed next-day on Hulu, but like three to five seasons ago, the next-day stream moved to NBC[dot]com and the whole seasons went to Netflix.When I’ve been there watching The Blacklist over these past few years, I have noticed that they have the newest episodes of most NBC shows streaming for free. This seems consistent with the messages telling viewers that the shows are available on NBC[dot]com and Peacock, without mentioning Hulu for years.I’ve had Peacock twice and in all likelihood, I will have it again and again. If there’s something that I know airing on NBC, I’ll probably watch it on their free site (either NBC[dot]com or Peacock Free). The real issue for them, as far as I am concerned, is that because I never go to the antenna stations on my Roku, if I’m not seeing something about a show on Hulu or via an ad on the NBC website or another service, it will be harder for me to discover new NBC shows to watch.
I’m actually surprised it took them this long. NBC shows airing next day on Hulu basically make Peacock redundant, so it shouldn’t have shocked anyone when it didn’t show any growth last quarter. It doesn’t make sense for the various media companies to continue their collaboration.While the original arrangement that brought about Hulu made sense, it’s kind of been rendered obsolete, despite having a solid user base. That user base also is happy watching content a day late and not having to bother with finding another way to get their content. If you live in a large city you can get most, if not all, of that network content for the one-time price of an antenna.Another big reason the network streamers suffer is that most of the network programming pretty well stinks these days—a steady diet of cheap-to-produce reality and game shows. Scripted comedies and dramas are few and far between. Over the last few years my network viewing has given way to public television and the reruns of classic shows that run on the side channels.
I still keep Hulu partially for the FX stuff. On weeks I work late, once 2 am rolls around, I can watch the WWDITS episode I missed.
It’s also nice to have options for subbed and dubbed anime on Hulu, but that’s becoming easier to find legally elsewhere, too.
This was announced back in March. https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/hulu-to-lose-next-day-streams-of-nbc-shows-shifting-to-peacock-instead/ It’s a bummer for people who don’t watch enough on NBC or ABC/Fox to justify a subscription for either, but enough combined for a sub to Hulu for all 3 networks. At least The Orville is on Disney+ as of today so Hulu’s best exclusive is available without Hulu.
It’ll be gone in September, it’ll be gone in September. You tell my subs it’ll be gone in September, it’ll be gone in September. January, February, March, April, May. I see you crying, but this content can’t stay.
Really glad we’re basically just back to the cable model, great stuff
if all the hulu merges with disney+ then I’m fine with it. just so long as they don’t jack up the prices too much. I was planning to cancel Hulu in september since my annual plan is going to get hiked anyways.
Aren’t Hulu/Disney+/ESPN permanently linked at this point?The thought of Hulu Live at $80 makes me want cable & DVR again.
I think Hulu lives. You could use the same logic to argue that ESPN+ is on the chopping block, and I don’t see it — Disney+ seems to be working pretty well with the Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Star Wars tabs; I don’t see Disney wanting to overload it with another half dozen of them when they’re perfectly happy right now bundling all three services.
Good. Fuck HULU and their LOUD ASS commercial breaks
Mr Mayor was cancelled so there’s no need for Peacock.