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Hulu To Require Viewers To Have Cable Subscriptions

Posted by Soulskill on from the nice-knowing-you dept.

The NY Post reports that Hulu, the video streaming service with over 30 million users, has plans to force those users to prove they have a subscription to cable or satellite TV if they want to keep watching. Quoting: "The move toward authentication is fueled by cable companies and networks looking to protect and profit from their content. The effort comes as entertainment companies continue to face drastic shifts in home viewing habits. Overall spending on home entertainment edged up 2.5 percent to $4.45 billion in the first quarter as a surge in digital streaming — which rose more than fivefold to $549 million — offset a continuing collapse in video rentals, according to Digital Entertainment Group. ... Hulu racked up some $420 million in ad revenue last year and is expected to do well in this year’s ad negotiations. But the move toward authentication, which could take years to complete, will make cable companies happy because it could slow cord-cutting by making cable subscribing more attractive."

4 of 648 comments (clear)

  1. Bye bye Hulu! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I didn't really need you before, I sure don't need you now.

    Hello, Bittorrent!

    1. Re:Bye Bye Hulu! by halfEvilTech · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well I was tossing between hulu and netflix after I cut the cord. But they just made my decision all the easier.

  2. Re:Good luck with that. by Hes+Nikke · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hulu was never independent. Look up who their FOUNDERS are.

    Hulu is a joint venture of NBCUniversal (Comcast/General Electric),[5] Fox Entertainment Group (News Corp) and Disney-ABC Television Group (The Walt Disney Company),[6] with funding by Providence Equity Partners, the owner of Newport Television, which made a US$100 million equity investment and received a 10% stake.[7]

    - wiki

    --
    Don't call me back. Give me a call back. Bye. So yeah. But bye our, well, but alright we are on a shirt this chill.
  3. Re:In that case... by TehDuffman · · Score: 5, Informative

    USENET it is.

    Usenet
    Sabnzbd
    SickBeard
    CouchPotato
    XBMC - Or other HTPC

    If you can get these 5 things working together (it isn't hard trust me) you never need cable again (unless you're a sports fan which I am). Completely automated, maxes out your internet connection and can be completely SSL. All for around $10-15 a month.