Hulu to offer free ad-supported viewing on iPhone, iPad this summer

Posted:
in iPad edited May 2014
Popular video streaming service Hulu, which currently requires users to subscribe to its "Plus" service to view content on their iPhone or iPad, will begin offering free viewing of select ad-supported programming on mobile devices this summer.




The company's plans were announced on its official blog on Wednesday, where it revealed that some full TV episodes will be viewable on devices like Apple's iPhone and iPad. Hulu also revealed that it will launch the next generation of its Hulu Plus application for iPhone later in the summer.

Hulu's plans for ad-supported free viewing are apparently limited to "mobile devices," which would suggest that the free streaming content will not make its way to Hulu's official Apple TV channel.

To date, Hulu's iOS applications have required a paid Hulu Plus subscription in order to view content. Some of that content has, however, been available to view for free on Hulu's website for desktop users on Mac or PC.

Hulu also announced Wednesday that its Plus subscription service, which costs $7.99 per month, has surpassed 6 million subscribers. In addition to rebroadcasting cable and network TV programs, Hulu also offers subscribers its own original content, including "Deadbeat," "Moone Boy," "The Awesomes," "Quick Draw," and the Sports Emmy-nominated series "Behind the Mask."

Hulu has more than 1,700 advertisers, and it plans to roll out new ways for companies to reach its customer base. Accordingly, three new "ad innovations" were also announced on Wednesday: in-stream purchasing, which will debut later this year with Pizza Hut as a launch partner; cross-platform interactive ads optimized for a user's current viewing device; and "Hulu 360 Ad," which will target mobile users with advertisements that go "beyond the traditional video ad."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    dualiedualie Posts: 334member
    What took 'em so long.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    snovasnova Posts: 1,281member

    Its like Deja Vu all over again. 

  • Reply 3 of 21
    kavokkavok Posts: 51member
    What's the difference? You have to watch ads even on the paid version (which I think is BS, since they are charging both the user a subscription AND the companies to advertise on the shows.) I guarantee you that you won't have full access to all the programming they offer on the iPhone or iPad without a subscription.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member

    Hulu is going to have ads?  Shocker.  Heck- even paying $7.99 you still get ads!

  • Reply 5 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    "Select" is the key word here.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    j1h15233j1h15233 Posts: 274member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    "Select" is the key word here.

    Sure is. Select shows are not the ones people want to watch.

  • Reply 7 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Andysol View Post

     

    Hulu is going to have ads?  Shocker.  Heck- even paying $7.99 you still get ads!


     

    May as well get Netflix for that price.

  • Reply 8 of 21

    WOW!!!  Free add supported Hulu !!!! how is this different from the effen "ad" supported pay version.  I quit Hulu two years ago because they were putting commercials in the middle of my programs.  I guess I'll start using Hulu for free again since the "FREE" part allows me to accept the inserted ads.  Thanks Hulu!  

  • Reply 9 of 21
    joelsaltjoelsalt Posts: 827member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by CrankyJ View Post

     

    WOW!!!  Free add supported Hulu !!!! how is this different from the effen "ad" supported pay version.  I quit Hulu two years ago because they were putting commercials in the middle of my programs.  I guess I'll start using Hulu for free again since the "FREE" part allows me to accept the inserted ads.  Thanks Hulu!  


    For years we all PAY for cable, and yet, ads.

     

    If you want NEW content, it costs a lot more money than old Netflix content.  Someone online once estimated it would cost Netflix 400k PER EPISODE of Big Bang Theory if they wanted to put new ones on Netflix (x, whatever, 150 shows or how ever many there are), which would blow their entire budget on one series.

     

    (that number was the amount of ad revenue per half hour on Cable television that show generated)

  • Reply 10 of 21
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Wasn't Hulu like this in the beginning?
  • Reply 11 of 21
    When Hulu allows me to watch all their shows on my mobile devices when I'm paying for their Hulu Plus service and viewing without ads I might consider using them again.

    It's ridiculous that I have to pay a monthly fee for the privilege to watch shows on my mobile devices WITH ADS and then they have the gall to tell me some of the shows I want to watch are only available on the web.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member

    It's insane that the free version of Hulu is only available on some OS's, while others require the paid (but still with ads!) version.

     

    I don't know whether to blame Hulu or (more likely) the content owners (some of whom own Hulu anyway) but it's crazy.

     

    Free Hulu should have ALL the same shows (not "select" ones) no matter what OS.

     

    Paid Hulu should likewise have ALL the same shows (which I don't think is currently true) no matter what OS.

     

    Making things hard for people doesn't help your business.

  • Reply 13 of 21
    j1h15233j1h15233 Posts: 274member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post



    Wasn't Hulu like this in the beginning?

    Hulu in the beginning was great.

  • Reply 14 of 21
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member

    The cool thing about Hulu ads is that you get to watch the SAME ad even 11 or 12 times during a single show, so you REALLY can study them lol.

  • Reply 15 of 21
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    512ke wrote: »
    The cool thing about Hulu ads is that you get to watch the SAME ad even 11 or 12 times during a single show, so you REALLY can study them lol.

    What shows are you watching that you're seeing 11-12 commercials?
  • Reply 16 of 21
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member

    No Hulu for me until it is ad-free

  • Reply 17 of 21
    alphafoxalphafox Posts: 132member
    Airplay?
  • Reply 18 of 21
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member

    Amazon Prime and Netfilx.

    Hulu? Meh.

  • Reply 19 of 21
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pazuzu View Post

     

    Amazon Prime and Netfilx.

    Hulu? Meh.


    Except for the advertising, Hulu is better than both of those due to more content.   I currently use Amazon prime, cancelled Netflix because the stuff I wanted was never available.

  • Reply 20 of 21
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    e1618978 wrote: »
    Except for the advertising, Hulu is better than both of those due to more content.   I currently use Amazon prime, cancelled Netflix because the stuff I wanted was never available.

    More varied content. I watch current shows on Hulu because it allows fast forwarding whereas some VOD doesn’t plus overall it has less commercials.
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