Hulu inks distribution deal with ViacomCBS to bring more channels to its live TV service

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: The multi-year agreement will see Hulu+ Live TV get 14 new channels including MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Comedy Central and VH1, among others. The deal also means that Hulu’s live TV service will continue to carry networks such as The CW and CBS Sports Network.

ViacomCBS on Monday announced a new distribution deal that will bring more content from its portfolio to Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service.

Subscribers will additionally retain the ability to add Showtime as a premium channel, we’re told. Financial terms of the agreement were not shared.

Hulu’s live TV offering launched in beta in mid-2017 with a limited selection of channels and a $40 price tag. Today, it includes access to more than 65 channels and a cloud-based DVR capable of storing 50 hours of recorded content.

At $64.99 per month, it’s not really any more affordable than a traditional cable subscription service but you do get some flexibility in terms of how content is delivered and the devices you can watch it on. Plus, there aren't any pesky contracts to contend with so you are free to cancel whenever you want.

Hulu majority owner Disney revealed in its fourth quarter earnings report back in November that Hulu+ Live TV had 4.1 million subscribers as of October 3, 2020. According to Deadline, that’s enough to make Hulu+ Live TV the leader in Internet-delivered live TV.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88154-hulu-inks-distribution-deal-viacomcbs-bring-more-channels.html

 

[Uncle Al]

There is no free lunch. This kind of deal won't be cheap and you can look forward to yet another raise in HULU rates in the not too distant future. This is an area that the FCC needs to get directly involved in & regulate, especially for these services that don't offer any kind of meaningful teared pricing .....

 

[SNGX1275]

I bought Hulu just about a month ago (Dec 2nd), actually I got the free trial that I thought was a month, but turns out it was a week. So that was an unpleasant surprise upon seeing a $55 charge. Then, a week or so later I saw their price was going up $10, that also sucked. The final straw was when they were dropping my local CBS channel - maybe this new deal gets it back, but doesn't matter, I canceled it. I'm not super opposed to paying for TV (although I am not pleased about paying for stuff that if I lived at the top of a hill I could get for free with an antenna), but I don't like the increasing fees (inevitable) and with the ability to chromecast or airplay from an internet stream (unofficial of course) its not hard to go the free way.