{"id":339756,"date":"2017-05-02T01:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T17:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1483677"},"modified":"2017-05-02T01:00:18","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T17:00:18","slug":"hulu-scores-deal-with-nbcu-for-its-live-tv-service-will-now-carry-all-four-major-broadcast-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/hulu-scores-deal-with-nbcu-for-its-live-tv-service-will-now-carry-all-four-major-broadcast-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"Hulu scores deal with NBCU for its live TV service, will now carry all four major broadcast networks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just ahead of the launch of Hulu\u2019s forthcoming live TV service, the company today announced a new deal with NBCUniversal which will bring NBC and Telemundo-owned television stations along with\u00a0other top cable networks added to the new service, expected to arrive this month<\/a>. The agreement greatly expands Hulu\u2019s live TV lineup with the addition of top networks, including NBC, Telemundo, USA, Syfy, Bravo, E!, MSNBC, CNBC, NBCSN, Sprout and others.<\/p>\n

With the addition of NBC, Hulu\u2019s live service will have the top four broadcast channels available, as it already announced deals with CBS, Fox and Disney-ABC.<\/p>\n

Hulu\u2019s total number of live TV channels now tops 50, the company says.<\/p>\n

The deal also allows Hulu to license NBC and Telemundo broadcast affiliates for its live TV service. At launch, Hulu will have the full load of local channels in five or six major markets, but will add more local affiliates\u00a0on a weekly basis as these further deals close, we\u2019re told.<\/p>\n

NBCU properties are home to some of television\u2019s\u00a0more popular shows, like NBC\u2019s \u201cThis is Us,\u201d \u201cBlindspot,\u201d \u201cThe Voice,\u201d \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,\u201d \u201cLate Night with Seth Meyers,\u201d and \u201cSaturday Night Live;\u201d plus \u201cMr. Robot\u201d from USA; top sci-fi series like \u201cThe Expanse,\u201d \u201c12 Monkeys\u201d and others from Syfy; entertainment and lifestyle programming from E! and Bravo; news from MSNBC and CNBC; Spanish-language programming from Telemundo; and kids shows\u2019 from Sprout.<\/p>\n

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For sports fans, the agreement means the service will also gain access to a range of popular sports programming, including Sunday Night Football and the Olympics, as well as networks like NBCSN, Golf Channel and NBC\u2019s regional sports networks in\u00a0Chicago, Philadelphia, New England, Mid-Atlantic, Bay Area, California and Northwest.<\/p>\n

Hulu already had a fairly robust sports lineup ahead of the NBCU deal, with agreements that will bring ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and TNT to its service.<\/p>\n

\u201cNBC Universal is home to many of today\u2019s leading sports, news, entertainment and lifestyle networks \u2013 brands that not only draw large audiences but also drive pop culture,\u201d said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins, in a statement. \u201cWith this agreement in place, Hulu will soon provide an affordable, complete live TV package that includes all four major broadcast networks, the top-rated cable news channels, a massive sports offering and our deep existing premium streaming library for under $40.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Hulu is entering a market where there are already a host of competitors \u2013 like Sling TV, AT&T\u2019s DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, and now YouTube TV \u2013 it has the advantage of name recognition and the ability to upsell to an existing customer base. It\u2019s also the first streaming TV competitor to combine an\u00a0on-demand library of licensed TV and movie content (the version of Hulu that\u2019s available now) with its own\u00a0original programming, as well as with a streaming TV service\u00a0and the accompanying on-demand shows from its broadcast partners.<\/p>\n

The service\u2019s under-$40 pricing is designed to make it appealing to those who want to cut the cord, but not lose out on much of what pay TV has to offer.<\/p>\n

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Beyond its channel lineup and competitive features like a cloud DVR, Hulu will also roll out an upgraded experience, with a user interface redesign that makes it feel more like a modern, mobile-first streaming service, rather than an online TV guide. The new service will focus more heavily on recommendations that will grow more personalized the more you watch, and will offer push notifications to remind you to watch or record your favorite live shows.<\/p>\n

Beyond CBS, 21st Century Fox, Disney, and now, NBCU, Hulu has agreements that will bring other notable TV channels to its live TV service, including\u00a0A&E, History, Lifetime, LMN, FYI, Viceland, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Fox News, Fox Business, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild,\u00a0TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, truTV, Boomerang and Turner Classic Movies.<\/p>\n

NBCU, like Disney and Fox, has an ownership stake in Hulu, but has to be a silent partner per federal terms related to its acquisition by Comcast.<\/p>\n

Hulu has publicly said the service will launch sometime this spring, but working out this deal with NBCU was one of the\u00a0last hurdles it needed to complete before going live. We\u2019ve heard the service will arrive by mid-May<\/a> (or, as we\u2019re now hearing, sooner), and with this NBCU announcement today, that timeframe looks even firmer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Just ahead of the launch of Hulu’s forthcoming live TV service, the company today announced a new deal with NBCUniversal which will bring NBC and Telemundo-owned television stations along with\u00a0other top cable networks added to the new service, expected to arrive this month. The agreement greatly expands Hulu’s live TV lineup with the addition of top networks, including NBC,… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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