Hulu Will No Longer Be Free in 2010
It was too good to last let alone be true…Hulu will be a paid subscription service as of 2010. While we all are enjoying this free service kicking the shorts of cable, it seems that the rumors are true and Hulu isn’t able to survive on ads alone.
I am going to make a forecast that this will be the end of Hulu as we know it, not only in its format but in its usage. People like Hulu for two primary reasons: its completely free and it works well. Now its just going to work well. That’s great but after having unadulterated access for so long, how can we go back?
Hulu claims that some content will remain on the free side of the fence but the quote from News Corp doesn’t exactly exude hope:
“It’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online. I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business”
Most seem to think that it would be better to simply increase commercials. And with Netflix having such a strong hold on the content subscription purchase, its going to be tough going.
Perhaps a compromise? Ad driven and free, or no ads with a paid subscription? Guess I’ll get back onto the torrent train… 
[Editors Note: I thought that perhaps Fancast.com would make for a great alternative but after looking into it, theres a major problem: Its videos are pulled from Hulu!! Dammit Beavis...]
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Comments
@Jesse: Thats awesome! If you want to write up how you did it, I can publish it here.
@colormist: I know Love Hulu. Unfortunately Fancast.com ports in from Hulu as well. grr
[...] Hulu Will No Longer Be Free in 2010 — What more can you say about what may be the worst thing I’ve heard in a long time? Turning into a subscription-based service will be a kick in the teeth for many who’ve abandoned cable in lieu of totally-free online streaming content. Milk Your Money [...]
[...] Hulu Will No Longer Be Free in 2010 — What more can you say about what may be the worst thing I’ve heard in a long time? Turning into a subscription-based service will be a kick in the teeth for many who’ve abandoned cable in lieu of totally-free online streaming content. Milk Your Money [...]
Hulu is a wonderful site but they need to start creating income and this is the way forward. We should still support them in anyways we can.
Joost or http://www.surfthechannel.com could be a possible replacement.
Yet another reason I DIY with anything TV. I built my own media center, record over the air shows and rip my DVDs. I don’t need no stinking paid service