Hulu braves the zombie apocalypse to bring you more content
Hulu has signed an exclusive deal with AMC, according to a report from VentureBeat. Under the deal, the streaming television provider will be the only subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) provider to air the upcoming series “Fear of the Walking Dead.” The show is a spinoff of the wildly popular series “The Walking Dead.”
Hulu’s deal for “Fear of the Walking Dead” is part of a multiyear agreement with AMC Networks giving the service exclusive SVOD rights to new and upcoming shows from channels like AMC, IFC, BBC America, Sundance TV, and We TV.
Hulu has also recently signed a deal with Sony for streaming rights to all episodes of hit series “Seinfeld.” The “Seinfeld” agreement will cost Hulu $180 million, according to a report from Variety, which works out to a cool million dollars an episode. All nine seasons of “Seinfeld” will be available on Hulu beginning in June.
In another effort to get more eyes on its content, Hulu has recently signed a deal with TV-on-the-go provider Optimum to distribute its subscription service. This deal is very similar to the one HBO penned with Optimum earlier this year for HBO Now, and Hulu chief executive Mike Hopkins says similar offerings will roll out to other service providers later this year.
Hulu is working hard to sign new deals to build up its store of exclusive content and original programs so it can get more of our dollars. Competing with the growing number of video-on-demand services like Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Netflix, and Sling makes it necessary for Hulu to improve its catalog of series and movies. Hulu has 9 million paid subscribers, a small fraction of Netflix’s 62 million, and more competitors are emerging frequently. Apple is even expected to jump into that arena with its own subscription-based streaming television service, rumored to be launching at June’s WWDC.
