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Hulu is working on a live streaming TV service that might finally let you ditch cable

Published May 2nd, 2016 11:18AM EDT
Hulu Online TV Service

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Hulu is giving cable companies yet another reason to worry. According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Hulu is currently developing a new subscription service that would allow customers to stream live feeds of broadcast and cable channels, similar to what Sling TV and PlayStation Vue offer.

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Up to this point, Hulu has only offered on-demand content, making Netflix its most obvious competitor. With this move, Hulu would have a great deal more to offer, which is why sources say the company wants to launch the service by early 2017.

The report claims that ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel, Fox, Fox News, FX and Fox’s regional and national sports channels are all expected to be part of the service. Hulu is also in talks with other networks, but sources say that Hulu isn’t interested in providing as many channels as one might find in a traditional cable bundle.

Although Hulu hasn’t announced a price (or even confirmed the existence of the service), Sanford C. Bernstein media analyst Todd Juenger told WSJ that he expects the company to charge $40 a month. An executive close to Hulu apparently reaffirmed this figure, which might indicate that Hulu will only offer one package.

Sources also say that Hulu will offer a “cloud-based digital video recorder” for subscribers and will use targeted advertising during live broadcasts.

If this service comes to fruition, Hulu will be well on its way to becoming the most expansive all-in-one media service on the internet.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.