Hulu Plus subscription may be cut in half

By on Oct 22, 2010 at 1:49 AM
General October 22, 2010

With all of the options currently available for streaming movies and TV shows over the Internet, many wondered how Hulu would fare with its recently launched Hulu Plus service. The answer, as it turns out, may be not so great. Hulu Plus currently costs subscribers $9.95 per month. The subscription fee brings with it a larger catalog of content and the ability to stream Hulu on a variety of devices including the iPad, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal’s MediaMemo blog, adoption may be significantly slower than Hulu might have hoped. The company is apparently considering a 50% price drop just a few short months after having launched the service this past July. The supposed new subscription, $4.95, would certainly be much more appealing. Whether or not it will accelerate Hulu Plus adoption in the face of Netflix’s Watch Instantly service and free streaming provided on studio websites remains to be seen.

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  • SOUTHERN MISS ELITE

    Here’s the thing….I wouldn’t mind paying 10 a month for Hulu Plus….

    …But I’d have to have it completely commercial free AND access to premium channel content (HBO/Showtime shows)

    Without that….I don’t see the need to stray away from what Comcast allows me to do. I can stream everything I need on their website without commercials and seemingly a faster buffer.

    For 5 dollars though…if it allowed access on my android phone…I’d probably bite. I cannot lie.

    • DARKSEID

      I couldn’t argee with you more. But still, commercials are still Annoying. Limit it to 1 commercial where it only starts from the beginning and I’ll join up.

      • E Dog

        If Hulu keeps expanding their backlog of shows, and Viacom comes to the table, along with Turner Broadcasting and its cable & news shows, and as long as Hulu aggressively keeps adding its playability to multiple devices the way Netflix has, then it could have a winner.

        $5 a month for on-demand TV is a good deal… but here’s the killer app: Hulu Live! Live streaming of broadcast shows, in addition to Hulu Sports (ESPN 1/2, Fox Sports, etc). I’d pay $10 a month for that.

  • Hulu Plus subscription FAIL

    Duh,

    Hulu do u not see that this is a fail, I am a current hulu plus member via PS3.I find it frustrating that I play for this service and do-not have access to the same content as the free version WTF are u guys doing. Still no andoid app, still blocked from PS3 browser…. you guys wonder why more people are not buying.

    • andyg8180

      but…. youre paying for it… so #huluwin?

  • Redrumm

    Maybe offering less stuff on ps3 for 9.99 that you can get for free at hulu.com has something to do with it….idiots.

  • Rahul

    I’d consider it for $5/month if they had an Android app….and fewer commercials.

    Hell I’d pay $10 if they had the Android app, fewer commercials and HBO & Showtime

  • MSF

    I stream Netflix and Zune without a problem. Hulu streams are choppy and unreliable. Who wants to pay for that.

  • the Goat

    Lose the commercials and remove the requirement for Adobe Flash and I’d gladly sign up at the current price. But with those two “features” in place I wont even consider paying at any price.

  • Norm

    There needs to be a DROID app. I will bring this to the attention of my colleagues at VZW and see if we can get an exclusive in our wonderful VCAST section of the DROID market.

    • Timbo

      you mean…android app*

  • ontheFritz

    it just needs to offer more shows. i can deal with commercials.

  • andyg8180

    I get that Hulu is not going to pull commercials, but can we compromise and limit them if im interested in paying? netflix is 9.99 for a monster sized library of current and past movies and tv shows… no commercials… Hulu doesnt buy DVDs so how can they not justify hookin a brotha up with 1 to 0 commericials on $5 a month?

  • 1jaxstate1

    I still won’t pay for it. Drop the ads please or make it free. I don’t like getting double penetrated.

  • Eddie4

    I’d pay $5 with Android app and premium content. But more than 2 commercials and I won’t stay long… Burn Notice is almost unwatchable on Hulu now.

    Remember when cable first asked us to pay over free airwaves TV? “Better programming and no commercials”. Yeah, that lasted like 3 seconds.. Bring back Cinema Plus!

  • Nathan

    You guys do realize that you’re not paying for commercial-free viewing, right? Hulu Plus is for devices and additional content. That’s IT. I seriously doubt, even at $9.99/mo, that would cover the cost of all the content on there – unless maybe millions of people were biting, but even then I doubt it.

    I’m not a fan of commercials, either. But these things cost money… At least it’s better than broadcast television – and it’s legal (as opposed to downloading the shows illegally). I don’t know. I guess I really don’t see the problem… especially at $4.99/mo.

    • DARKSEID

      WRONG!

      What you get online is half the TV programing that the subscriber version can get. (IE – All Episodes of 30 Rock from Season 1 – Current). Free version will only show the last 5 episodes until the next newest one shows up. It’s ripping people off with $10 a month and load of commercials. If Hulu get’s paid to show ads, and they get paid by the subscriber and still show ads, then its not worth buying into because now we are paying premium for the ad companies, not Hulu content.

      $4.99 is a nice price, with 1 commercial, or no commercial, I will buy. Other than that, It’s almost useless.

      What Netflix offers is a backlog, and I mean A BACKLOG of previous seasons, no commercials, and better quality streaming of up to 1080P, than Hulu’s 480P content.

      I’ll be more than happy to stick to Netflix and a $9 a month subscription to that!

      All else: Torrents.

  • http://xxdesmusxx.net xxdesmus

    Drop the price + remove adds = I’ll subscribe in a second. Otherwise no chance in hell.

  • ipodfreek

    you can keep your hulu plus. it’s not a service that should have a price attached to it. the commercials should have been enough to sustain the service. FAIL.

  • Adam

    Here is the worst part about Hulu Plus.

    I’m going through the first season of LOST, right? Watching on my PS3, there are ads, but okay, whatever. I get to episode 6 or something and IT’S NOT THERE.

    I go online and it was available on Hulu.com, but not for Hulu Plus.

    HUH.

    I’m not sure if they have since corrected this problem, but it’s ridiculous in practice.

  • swingkat

    I think $5 sounds worth it… I don’t think it’s worth $10 because the selection is horrible and you can’t watch non-hulu plus shows on other devices.

  • Ms. Incredible

    Hmm $60 a year, yeah I will probably sign up for this. Hulu if your reading it, do it, and you can add one more customer.

  • marK

    So Hulu+ folks are paying $10 for convenience?

    You still have to watch ads…and have less access to current programs compared to the free online counterpart!?

    Convenience is a great way to attract customers…as long as the cost for convenience isn’t absurd!

    Basically, everyone recognizes that the $10 model + ads is flawed. Hulu+ is pulling an apple and gouging the early adopters (said as an apple early adopter) and double dipping.

    Here’s a thought: drop the fees and +’s; there should be 1 Hulu, not multiple iterations. Open it up for free with minimal ads (push out any competition or reliance on torrents).

    At some point down the road, team up with Netflix and start selling a package (commercial free)–all the movies (netflix and their consortium of studios) and TV (hulu and its consortium) you can eat for 15/20 bucks a month. Enjoy subscriptions from the majority of the entire population over time. Raise prices slowly and hope an upstart company doesn’t destroy you.

  • Fastwalking

    I stream with Netflix $8 / mo. and yes its fast but NO CONTENT !!

    Who cares if it streams if all you can get are lowest grade old movies???? Go ahead and search for any movie – I won’t even ask the name, but I can tell you “NOT AVAILABLE”

    If Hulu provides more movies, go for it!!

    • huh

      38% of content on Hulu Plus consists of Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show episodes.

    • Jallof

      You are referring to the Canadian version of netflix. The u.s. Netflix does not suffer these problems

    • Anonymous

      “No Content” argument is subjective, but invalid at this point. No content compared to what?
      1. It has more content than any other stream service out there.
      2. more content than video rental stores.
      3. More custom selection than cable television
      The only thing it has less content than is Netflix’s physical selection – which should be understandable. The service is growing and it has always been worth it. I dont want to be confrontational, but a service with thousands and thousands of titles is not without content.

      Search:
      Zombieland? Found
      The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Found
      Dear Zachery? Found
      All epsidoes of Anthony Bourdain? Found
      MythBusters collections? Found
      All 3 seasons of Arrested Development? Found

  • MadSkillz

    Me to Hulu: You’ve got my attention now.

  • B-Rose

    For $10 a month, it was a non-starter for me. For $5 a month I’d seriously consider it, because it would mean I could use my Roku player with it.

  • Chris

    The problem with Hulu Plus is that there are so many people like me who simply find it appalling to have to pay for content that you can get for free on a computer. Why should I have to pay to watch shows on my iPad that I can watch for free on my netbook? So the end result is that I end up curling up in bed with my iPad to watch Netflix streaming while my netbook sits unused somewhere in the house, and Hulu’s content goes totally unwatched. Hear that, Hulu advertisers?

  • http://sarahramsingh.com/wordpress/ Sarah

    Op Ed: The Trouble with Hulu

    Why No One Will Pay to Watch the First Studio Backed Portal

  • http://sarahramsingh.com/wordpress/ Sarah

    Op Ed: The Trouble with Hulu

    Why No One Will Pay to Watch the First Studio Backed Portal

    http://tinyurl.com/2eu8kjk

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