In what is its biggest content deal since it was taken off the auction block, Hulu has partnered with BBC Worldwide North America to bring some iconic TV shows to the service. Included in the multi-year package are programs like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock and Luther. For the time being, this will be library, rather than current, content. Doctor Who launches today, while Sherlock, Luther, Blackadder, Top Gear and others will be available starting in the fall. The deal will bring some 144 titles to Hulu in the first year; many will be accessible via subscription service Hulu Plus.
In all, there are more than 2,000 episodes with a few hundred available from this week. The non-exclusive arrangement follows the July announcement that Hulu owners Disney, 21st Century Fox, and Comcast would not sell the company and instead would supply $750M to accelerate its growth. Of the BBC deal, acting CEO Andy Forssell told The Wall Street Journal, “We’re kicking back into action. This is us doing a bunch of stuff that we’ve really wanted to do and had been put on hold for a while.” Last month, Hulu gave a 10-episode series order to Deadbeat, a subversive half-hour comedy from co-creators Cody Heller and Brett Konner, Lionsgate TV and Brad Pitt‘s Plan B Entertainment.
Watch out, TWC (and Dish, and DirecTV, and all other sat/cable casters). Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, and perhaps soon Aereo, will make your bundling obsolete.
Let’s see Les “Moneybags” Moonves squirm out of that!
It’s not bundling that will be obsolete. Hulu, Amazon and Netflix also offer shows for just one bundle rather than a la carte.
What’s going extinct is absurdly greedy pricing.
I subscribed to Hulu to watch “Braquo”. In just one show (forty three minutes), i counted seven ad breaks. Subscription or ads, your choice Hulu, but I’m not doing both at the same time. All the shows listed above I can watch on Netflix (subscription – no ads) or BBCA (Directv – ads). YMMV.
GREAT news, LOVE British TV shows.