Skip to main content

Hulu sale could lead to more commercials, longer release delays

hulu
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Late last week it was reported that streaming video provider Hulu was considering an acquisition offer. The news snowballed yesterday into a much bigger proposition, with a report that the company would be meeting with multiple potential buyers in the coming weeks. Now some additional information has surfaced about what such a sale might mean for us consumers, compiled in a mega-post over on All Things Digital.

Hulu’s three partner owners, Disney/ABC, News Corp./Fox and Comcast/NBCU, have all sealed their deals to extend their content licenses. Disney and News Corp. both have management roles, meaning the fact that their deals have been extended also keeps fellow partner NBC Universal on board as well. All of which serves to make the web destination a more tantalizing purchase. All the consumer really needs to be concerned with here is that the content that’s already available on Hulu from these three companies won’t be going anywhere.

That’s the good news. Unfortunately, it looks like some changes might be incoming that won’t sit so well. For starters, the new buyers will likely extend window between a show’s airdate and its Hulu release from the day after to as much as eight days, The Los Angeles Times reports. The delay can be gotten around if viewers can prove they are cable or satellite TV subscribers. Since this approach will require that a new authentication system is implemented, it will take some time before we see it. VentureBeat also reports that the sale will likely insert a larger number of commercials into each streaming episode, but that information isn’t sourced.

Regardless, Hulu has never quite managed to rival the quality customer experience of Netflix’s Watch Instantly service due to its focus on securing freshly aired content each week. The ads and post-airing release delays are a direct result of that, even for the service’s Hulu Plus subscription package. None of the above-mentioned scenarios will become a reality unless the purchase happens and the new owner pushes for them, but longer delays and more commercials will only serve to push more customers away.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Best monitor deals: Gaming, office, curved, OLED and more
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor

Whether you prefer to work at one of the best desktop computers, the best laptops, or anything in between, an external monitor can be helpful to add some extra screen real estate. One of the best monitors can even go a long way toward reducing eye strain and creating an immersive digital or gaming experience. While high end monitors can get quite expensive, there are always some impressive monitor deals to shop, and we’ve tracked them all down. Reading onward you’ll find what we feel are the best monitor deals, whether you’re shopping for 4K monitors, gaming monitors, ultrawide monitors, or more general monitors meant for all-purpose users.
Best monitor deals

The following deals represent a best-of of the deals below. They're selected to give a mixture of prices, styles, and levels of discount. If you don't see something you like, don't worry, as the following sections will have plenty more deals for you to choose from. However, this is a highly recommended place to start:

Read more
7 best Chromebooks for 2024: the best for every budget
Close up of the Chrome logo on the top of a Chromebook.

Chromebooks might have a hard time competing with Windows laptops and MacBooks, but that doesn't mean they don't have their place. We've reviewed hundreds of laptops over the years, testing for important qualities like performance, battery life, and display quality — and we've found that Chromebooks consistently excel at performance and reliability.

You can find Chromebooks from Google, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and many others, and we've dug through them to put together this roundup of the best Chromebooks on the market. They're incredibly accessible devices, and for the right person, a Chromebook can be the best laptop in terms of value.

Read more
HP Envy deals: HP’s most popular laptop starts at $630
An HP Envy 17-inch laptop sits on an office desk.

A great computer brand to shop if you’re in the market for a new laptop is HP, which is consistently among the best laptop brands. It has several different model lineups to choose from, with the HP Envy laptop lineup offering a good balance of hardware options and pricing. The HP Envy lineup is also a good one to shop because it regularly turns out some impressive laptop deals. That’s certainly the case right now, as there are a lot of HP Envy deals to shop. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the best HP Envy deals currently taking place, so read onward for more information on how to land some savings.
HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop 15Z-FH000 — $630, was $900

The HP Envy x360 convertible laptop is a great option for just about anyone, particularly anyone who enjoys the touchscreen functionality of a tablet. It’s well designed and super slim, making it a truly go-anywhere device. Despite its portability, it still has an immersive 15.6-inch touchscreen that’s great for creators, note-takers, and binge watchers. Top notch build quality and durability, fast charging technology, a fingerprint reader, and great battery life round out the top features of the HP Envy x360 convertible touchscreen laptop. It competes well with the best 2-in-1 laptops. Its versatility and all-around capability make it a worthy companion on any desk, and on any lap.

Read more