hulu
edit

Hulu is an online video provider held by NBC Universal, News Corporation, and, as of April 2009, Disney. The site focuses exclusively on professional content and does not take on YouTube directly as a viral video destination. The site raised $100 million in financing from Providence Equity Partners. Hulu is currently the third largest video provider on the web.

Hulu videos are played in their own embeddable branded player. Content from at least a dozen TV networks and two major film studios is promised. Initial distribution partners include AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo.

Jason Kilar, Hulu’s CEO, explains Hulu’s name, “Objectively, Hulu is short, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and rhymes with itself. Subjectively, Hulu strikes us as an inherently fun name, one that captures the spirit of the service we’re building.” However, some aren’t so sure it was the wisest name to pick.

In September 2007 that Hulu acquired Bejing-based startup Mojiti and used its platform for the basis of the product.

Milestones
edit

9/23/08 — Hulu Tops 100 Content Providers, Launches New Features to Enhance Discoverability
8/5/08 — Hulu Refreshes HD Gallery with Diverse Selection of Full Hit Episodes

Videos

Above:

This video was originally published on Beet.TV

Added: 4/10/09

Products
edit

hulu
edit

Website	hulu.com
Stage	Live
Launch Date	March 12, 2008
Tags	video, clip

Above: Screenshot
Uploaded: 2/10/08

Traffic Analytics

Quantcast

Compete

YouNoodle Score

Comments

e. green - July 4, 2009 at 11:38am

today was my first time watching hulu I was very impressed. keep up the good work.

E.R. - December 20, 2008 at 10:44pm

Love to watch Hulu tv exclusively. nolonger do I watch tv with all the commercial and very liitle show. Hulu is great! Can you get more movie selections though?

Meelmo2@hotmail.com - October 31, 2008 at 10:53pm

Is it possible to purchase an episode?

Olafur - October 21, 2008 at 7:44pm

I heard that a new product allowed Hulu to play on Apple TV, and that caused some kind of copyright infringement of some sort. Click on my name for the article.

Buddy - October 21, 2008 at 7:41pm

Hulu is my favorite website. This is the Best of the Best

a sad face - October 21, 2008 at 7:35pm

What is happening I love Hulu it is the only TV I watch. I hate the networks, I hate the commercials. what happened? The 60 second commercials the endless entertainment this was my pacifier. No anger not frustration just what I want to watch when I want to watch it. This makes me angry and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry. hahah seriously though this is not funny.

David S. - October 16, 2008 at 1:55am

Hulu needs a new direction to open a new era.

Jeff Hollis - October 14, 2008 at 8:24am

I think Hulu is wonderful. If I had the means back in 2003, I would have started something similar when I first thought of the idea, but leave it to the big man to make more money.

T-Roy - October 10, 2008 at 6:23pm

With sites like Hulu why would I want to pay through the nose to have cable just to be turned into a ZOMBIE by endless commercials. I haven't had cable for 5 years and I don't see why I would ever need it again! LONG LIVE HULU and the free playing of Main Stream TV and Movies. Cable Companies Must Go Extinct

Dee - September 22, 2008 at 10:35am

I'm lovin' it. This is wonderful for entertainment feeders (I wouldn't say junkie.)

John W. - July 17, 2008 at 5:47pm

Excellent site, excellent idea. I am disabled and what some consider bedbound and this is just the thing to keep me occupied. There are a lot of us out here who cannot change the channel with a simple push of a button on the remote control. But there are special mice for the disabled.

shminbabe - April 10, 2008 at 6:33pm

i am loving hulu. please put more programs and movies on this site. it's great. the short ads don't bother me...i love cisco's ads by the way! bring it on...more!!

هلو - March 20, 2008 at 12:27am

Hulu means 'peach' in Persian .

Bernie - March 16, 2008 at 7:27pm

I'm hooked on this.. The only problem / frustration so far is lack of content. Most shows only have a few episodes of one of two seasons. Take a show like Battlestar Galactica. I'd really like to start from season one and follow it through.. The video quality in full screen is also lacking. Hopefully these issues will be resolved as the company matures. If it does I'll invest not only in the company when it goes public but also in the cabling to hook my PC to my TV! It's a great way to watch the shows you like when you like.

ceyda - January 31, 2008 at 12:28am

I thought hulu was free. I am on the waiting list to get onto this site, so could see much of it yet. It looks like people like it?

Captain Ants - January 28, 2008 at 11:21pm

Ahoy There! Now Hulu is one to watch! it's going to be, and already is an extremely competitive and exciting media scramble to become the next big multimedia portal giant.... Coolio! Cheers! Captain Ants Theremin Player...etc...

Livia - November 29, 2007 at 10:09pm

When the Hulu will be available in Brazil?

guy nouri - October 31, 2007 at 8:52am

We welcome another major player to validate the space. Dragonfly thinks all enterprises whether entertainment or not should have the ability to channel full screen full quality video to their audiences without fear, without a download, and even without advertising. Boldly go and see http://STNV.dragonfly.com to see how one non aligned video network provider offers a solution for all content providers and would be broadcasters. Guy =i=

Andrew Christie - October 30, 2007 at 11:40am

I am glad that another player as arrived on the scene.

Randy - October 29, 2007 at 1:36am

I'm very interested to see if this takes off. It's good to see some of the major networks embracing the merger of TV and internet. It is an inevitable merger, and those who are out front will likely be the ones that thrive. News Corp. are geniuses, so I suspect they'll make this big.

Mr. Hawkins - September 2, 2007 at 9:34am

NBC executives are crazy if they think I am going to Pay $5 an episode for TV Shows. I live overseas, but will happily ban watching any and ALL NBC shows. $1.99 per show or less than $35 a season is not bad. I hate to see what else they are going to do.

dvdstrk - September 1, 2007 at 12:47am

"Hulu videos will be played in their own embeddable branded player." And NBC thinks this will compete against iTunes how? They might want to rethink their decision to leave Apple.

James Wong - August 29, 2007 at 3:53pm

Hulu - The URL is definitely short and sweet but the pronunciation is confusing to me. Is it WHO LU or HEW LU? The of a company is important. Our own company name Avidian (http://www.avidian.com), I found out later was a mystical bird and too close to the Avian flu. :( As we sell our product Prophet around the world, the name Prophet causes some commotion in Middle east that we didn't think about. If we really want to penetrate the Middle East and Muslim countries, we've been told we should change the name of our product Prophet to something else. But Prophet sounds like Profit and fits so well with the space we're in sales CRM. A lot has to do with the name. Choose it wisely. There is a Chinese saying that don't worry about teaching the child bad. Worry about naming the kid wrong. :)

Website	hulu.com
Category	Games, Video and Entertainment
Phone	(310) 571-4700
Employees
Founded	3/07
Description	TV on-line

Total	$100M
Series A, 8/07 Providence Equity Partners	$100M
Series B, 4/09 The Walt Disney Company

General Information
edit

Offices
edit

People
edit

Funding
edit

Competitors
edit

Tags
edit

hulu
edit

Milestones
edit

Videos

Products
edit

hulu
edit

Traffic Analytics

Quantcast

Compete

YouNoodle Score

Comments

Add Comment

Sources

TechCrunch Posts

Recent News

Techmeme Posts

Embed Widget

CrunchBase API

Sponsors

General Information edit

Offices edit

People edit

Funding edit

Competitors edit

Tags edit

hulu edit

Milestones edit

Videos

Products edit

hulu edit

Traffic Analytics

Quantcast

Compete

YouNoodle Score

Comments

Add Comment

Sources

TechCrunch Posts

Recent News

Techmeme Posts

Embed Widget

CrunchBase API

Sponsors

General Information
edit

Offices
edit

People
edit

Funding
edit

Competitors
edit

Tags
edit

hulu
edit

Milestones
edit

Products
edit

hulu
edit