Disney has announced it has acquired a stake in Hulu that is thought to be as high as 30% according to the folks over at Mashable. Disney has now joined NBC Universal and News Corp. in this venture.
The momentum this gives the video site is very real as it looks to jump on a position in the market that perhaps YouTube may be too late to the game on. YouTube has just started to strike deals with the major media producers and their lineup of available programs to watch is not as impressive as Hulu’s.
Another player that may be left in the dust is CBS. They currently show their productions on their own site and through TV.com. While they may feel like they have more control they are now on the outside looking in as FOX, NBC and ABC can be viewed on Hulu. For now this service is only available in the US much to the consternation viewers elsewhere in the world.
Now ABC shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives will be available to view online via Hulu. The sheer volume of the offering on Hulu by striking these big deals is far bigger than just the straight network plays. The days of the TV only companies are long gone. The shows on ABC are just one part of the gigantic Disney media machine that is searching for ways to get distribution in the widely decentralized market that exists in the Internet age.
In what can be viewed as a statement that shows the maturation of the media industry and the realization that they may actually be able to help each other, Jeff Zucker, president and CEO, NBC Universal said
“Hulu has shown that if you make quality content available on the web and combine it with an unbeatable user experience, viewers will come, and so will advertisers. The addition of some of the best content Disney/ABC has to offer will only enhance Hulu’s standing as a top site for high quality video entertainment.”
Maybe it’s as true in business as in reality where all ships do actually rise with the tide. By grasping that fact and working with it rather than fighting against it the future of broadcast content delivery may be more wide open than anyone imagined. Keep tuning in to find out.
