Apple ponders Hulu purchase

By on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:01 AM
Services July 23, 2011

Apple is toying with the idea of placing a bid on the Hulu video streaming service, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. In June, Hulu announced that it had hired Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners to assist with a the sale of the company and rumor had it that Yahoo! was interested in making a bid at that time. Should an acquisition happen, Apple might use Hulu to create a subscription screaming video offering in an effort to compete with services such as Netflix. Currently, customers can only purchase or rent videos from iTunes. Amazon is also interested in the company, although Bloomberg reported that it won’t make a move unless it can have guaranteed access to television shows. Hulu, which offers a premium Hulu Plus subscription option for $7.99 per month, said that it expects to surpass 1 million subscribers this August.
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  • Anonymous

    God no.

    • http://www.droiddoes.com/ iNorm

      Exactly. If only Google could buy it! Of course they would make it free and open for us all like they did when they blessed us with DROID!

      • http://twitter.com/AndyS_OSU Andrew Stewart

        How is it supposed to be free and open when you have to pay royalties to Hollywood? It’s free now in an ad supported version online. HuluPlus is for those people who want a few more back episodes and Hollywood is only willing to provide those at additional cost.

      • Anonymous

        “How is it supposed to be free and open when you have to pay royalties to Hollywood?”

        Maybe if Google could hire an advertising company they could determine a way for Hulu to continue to be free?

      • Anonymous

        Are you on welfare too ya freeloader.

      • Chut Pata

        The best things in the world are free.  So all the smart fellas are “freeloader” by your jargon.  They use Java, Python, Apache, Linux etc for IT, Google and Wikipedia for knowledge, Youtube for knowledge and entertainment, and live in wild for unpolluted air and water, and organic food.

      • Crap

        if google buys it, then it will be crap, look how droid is,,,,crap

  • Anonymous

    Another area where they can overprice the morons.  

    • Anonymous

      I’m sorry but what other area are apple fans getting overpriced? And please don’t say on computer’s you’re just going to make yourself look stupid.

      • mack2153

        The reason why Apple’s computers are expensive are the quality of materials used, using only the best chipsets and such and high quality materials like aluminum and glass. Plus you need to pay the software engineers. To me it’s completely worth the price. Go ahead and disagree, but you know it’s true.

      • Phed_Up

        Ummm…the best chipsets and such?

        Check your facts buddy, your favorite company is selling you EXACTLY the same thing that Dell, HP, Acer, etc. etc. etc. is selling you….for up to 80% MORE!

        Apple uses Intel chipsets, and Intel processors.  And while I am slinging mud, they are selling you an operating system that is also FREE!  (yeah, I know…they “did some stuff” to FreeBSD, and that “makes it better”).

        Point is, back in the day, they sold their own hardware (MAC specific), and their own OS, so (even though I still thought they were overpriced then) they at least could say they were different. Not anymore!  Even accounting for you CrApple fan’s supposed opinion of “build quality” up to 60% more for the same thing someone else is selling….that is overpriced!

        Stop deluding yourself, their just not “worth” what they are sold for TECHNICALLY!  If you are wacko enough to think that when they slap an apple with a bite out of it on the case that magically adds a 60% premium on the device, well then good for you!  But that does NOT mean they are better, or of better quality!  That is an opinion, and entirely NOT based in fact!

      • http://twitter.com/ocdtrekkie Jake Weisz

        hahahahahahahahahaha. You’re funny. And dumb.

        Intel processors and chipsets, Western Digital hard drives, Samsung LCDs… oh… those sound like the parts in my Windows machines. They also happen to be the exact same components in Apple computers.

        You aren’t paying a normal price for premium parts, you’re paying a premium price for normal parts.

      • Bernie B

        You’ve obviously never had to do technical service of an Apple computer.

  • Anonymous

    This would definitely be bad for everyone.

  • Vzwinsider

    please tell me this isn’t happening!!!

    Hulu is the only reason why I cut my cable! what do I do now?????????? 

  • JL Jones

    Please no – they’ll restrict it to just iOS devices :-(

  • Anonymous

    Hulu can get rid of some flash…

  • Anonymous

    Do people actually pay $7.99 for Hulu plus? Their content sucks ass lol. I think apple should pass on this one. Let Microsoft grab it, they buy any garbage out there.

    • Anonymous

      I guarantee if Apple did buy it they will improve drastically. Just like with everything else they do.

      • Anonymous

        I agree with that but then it would be restricted to only iOS devices(for instance no roku, and well the obligatory no android version) and make it a closed system. Also apple might get rid of the free system since they are unfamiliar with free ad supported things. And to those that say google is open, I wouldn’t want them to buy Hulu either because then it would’t be available on iOS devices for instance google music beta has no iOS app and blame apple if you want but the two sides just wouldn’t want to build something for everyone.

      • John MacKay

        I’d think of it for them as a new place to deploy iAds. We get free system, Apple gets whatever they get from iAds. Win win.. And even if Google bought it, there would probably still be an iOS app. Google’s biggest project Google+ has an official iOS app…

      • http://profiles.google.com/harold.spam Harold MAM

        Just like they improved Lala?

    • Anonymous

      Yes I do pay in order to watch network shows on demand, I subscribe to Hulu plus.

  • Corematter

    If amazon purchase hulu, hulu plus will be free for amazon prime users. Free 2nd air shipping, free amazon videos, and hulu plus. But hulu plus content sucks ass. If crApple buys hulu, it’ll be one less website for me to visit.

    • http://www.droiddoes.com/ iNorm

      If only Google could purchase it do it could be free and open

  • Anonymous

    Why would Apple want to buy Hulu? They already sell the content for the most part and it wouldn’t be that hard for them to add streaming to the mix if they wanted to. Plus I read somewhere that they would have to redo all of the contracts with the media companies to offer the content.

    My guess is it’s a ploy to get the bids up higher to say that Apple is interested….

    • Phed_Up

      If they buy it….they will shut it down!

      Eliminate competition for iTunes, that makes sense.

      Plus, they don’t want anyone getting anything from anywhere but iTunes, that would be another reason to shut it down.

      Uggg, that would SUCK!

  • Anonymous

    Oh iHope not, they’ll just rename it iHulu and then force everyone to watch via iToones.

    • Anonymous

      Oh wow. I really am a fucking asshole. Another i joke. By the way. I have a small penis

      • Anonymous

        Oh Scroaty-poo-pooo, you flatter me.

        By the way, my penis is so small (smaller even than that 0.30 pixelated FFC on your tAmpad), it’s an iPenis.

        For real.™®©•π

      • Anonymous

        Wow. I’m such a loser. I can’t stop making i jokes. Please someone give me some new material. I know it’s not even remotely funny anymore but i have nothing.

        p.s. I have a REALLY small penis

      • Anonymous

        Papi, quit talking to yourself, bud.

      • Anonymous

        It’s actually Scroaty-poo-pooo aka Scroat, iMpersonating me.
        I think it’s quite flattering and funny actually; he’s sooooo obsessed with me, he’s using my handle with [HIS] email to post contradictory comments, therefore, he’s gone through the trouble of registering on DISQUS as ME. [Ha-Ha-Ha∞]

        Just look at each comment’s profile link; the PAPINYC with the most comments is the REAL PAPINYC
        and not the i-Mposter’!

        Besides, I told him that I’m not interested in his 3-way with Bringit BABYYY but he doesn’t want to accept the fact that I don’t go that way [not that there's anything wrong with it, just don't]…

        Subject: [bgr] Re: Apple ponders Hulu purchase

      • Anonymous

        I was being sarcastic, brotha.

    • Mobile

      Fucking boring fairy ass cock troll loser.  i.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/diverken Ken Traub

    Does mean Apple will sensor anything on hulu that might offend god Steve. You will never see Jon Steward on Hulu, we will probably be limited to Disney, and family TV, and FOX “unbiased news.”

    • IPwn

      Fox actually doesn’t claim to be unbiased they are fair and balanced u like CNN who just slams any idea that the whitehous doesnt agree with

      • Scott

        Ok republican… 

      • Anonymous

        Oooohhhhhh! Good one! Moron.

        I will never understand why liberals claim they embrace different ideas and diversity… unless it’s republican. If we’re ever to have a grand utopian society, we’re not going to get there by shutting up people we disagree with.

  • Anonymous

    That just scares the hell outta me.

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  • http://twitter.com/starnovsky Stan Tarnovsky

    If Apple to buy Hulu it will:
    1. shut down Hulu service (both free web site and paid subscriptional)
    2. integrate Hulu’s video streaming into iCloud as an additional subscription service so everything except iOS will be SOL.

    • Anonymous

      iCloud works on PCs too, isn’t that what was announced?

      Cloud services are meant to be accessible anywhere.

  • Anonymous

    does apple have to want everything google is interested in? jeez they have itunes…hulu would do nothing for them…apple is turning into a big hater company…google wants patents bids, apple teams with ms and rim to get the patents, google wants this company apple decides they want it too… then they sue for everything….apple is pathetic

  • RH

    Apple gets it, I pull the shortcut from my browser.  Apple will just force it to use itunes, over price it and make it crapple.

  • Yodiggity777

    Seriously Todd you should proof read your stuff before you post it! Video “screaming” service, “assist with A the sale of the company” Sorry BGR but that’s just sad!

  • Fstmonte

    Why self compete with iTunes…?

    • Anonymous

      They do not currently offer a subscription based streaming service. Look at their Apple TV – it uses other services. Apple is just lookin to grow.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OAGTJAK2LDJIR2VXLGIZJEUUHU Christian Ross

    I paid $32.69 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Sony laptop for $94.87 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $51.77 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, LiveCent.com

  • http://twitter.com/ocdtrekkie Jake Weisz

    I hope Apple doesn’t get their grubby hands on my favorite online service.

    • Anonymous

      Who would you rather own it that would realistically buy it?

  • Rudy

    “Apple might use Hulu to create a subscription screaming video offering in an effort to compete with services such as Netflix.”

    Wow they are going to tear down the streaming innovation of Hulu and just post screaming videos?  Way to destroy a company.  Can’t they just put these screaming videos on YouTube and link them?  It would be a much more efficient way to use resources.

  • Allegrotechie

    God, Hulu sucks. All they have is Family Guy….

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