The streaming wars are continuing to heat up, with Netflix and Amazon seemingly in a competition to see who can grab the most films from Sundance. Not to be left out, Hulu has closed a deal that will see it become the only service to show documentaries from IFC Films.
Hulu and IFC have signed a multi-year agreement that will make the service the “exclusive home” for all future documentaries released under the IFC Films banner, as well as those released under Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, IndieWire reports. These documentaries will be available to customers of Hulu’s Limited Commercials and No Commercial plans, which cost $8 and $12 per month, respectively.
The first film to be shown on Hulu as part of this new deal is King Georges, which follows fine dining restaurant owner Georges Perrier as he prepares to sell the restaurant after running it for more than 40 years. The film premieres next month, and will hit Hulu this fall.
Other films coming to Hulu as part of the deal include Weiner, which follows Anthony Weiner through his failed campaign for New York City mayor and sexting scandal, and City of Gold, about food critic and Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Gold. City of Gold hits theaters on March 11.
“We are so excited to announce this groundbreaking first window partnership with Hulu,” IFC’s Lisa Schwartz said in an official statement. “IFC Films and Sundance Selects take great pride in the quality of the documentaries that we acquire and release every year and we are thrilled to have Hulu as a destination for them. Hulu is the ideal partner for first window exhibition and will provide a terrific opportunity in promoting each film’s theatrical release.”
In addition to the documentaries themselves, Hulu will also be the only place to watch trailers for upcoming documentaries from IFC. This might seem to be a strange move, but it does draw further attention to the service, and with competition among streaming services growing fiercer, each service wants any advantage it can get.
