Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Hulu’s free TV episodes are finally on Android tablets and phones

Alex Tretbar
By

hulu promises free and full tv episodes for mobile devices app
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Free Hulu isn’t just for desktop PCs anymore. Thanks to a new update, you no longer need a subscription to watch Hulu on Android tablets and phones. The news comes from the streaming service’s official blog. Hulu Plus subscribers will still get a lot more content but the updated Android app mirrors the ad-supported Hulu.com with a few exceptions. If you decide you want full access to Hulu’s content archive, you can upgrade to Hulu Plus directly from within the updated app.

Unfortunately, iPhone and iPad owners aren’t getting this free Hulu upgrade — at least, not yet. This is because Apple has dibs on a full 30-percent cut of all subscription transactions made within iOS apps. So if someone subscribes to Hulu Plus within the iOS Hulu app, Apple believes it’s entitled to 30 percent of all revenue (forever). Until Hulu figures out a way to sidestep such a potentially large loss of profits to Apple, this newly announced bundle of free content will likely remain a luxury available solely to Android users.

Recommended Videos

The move to bring free Hulu to tablets and phones  was announced back in April at the Hulu Upfront event in New York City. The event, which also features Hulu Originals stars and creators, gives Hulu’s advertising partners a glimpse at initiatives involving audience growth, innovation, and content. Hulu also revealed new subscriber and reach numbers, an upcoming Hulu Plus app redesign for iOS7, and new premiere dates for its returning Originals.

Related

Other announcements from the event included a new milestone for Hulu Plus, which has surpassed 6 million subscribers.

New types of ads coming to Hulu

The “in-stream purchase unit” – with Pizza Hut as its launch partner – is a feature that allows users to order food for pickup or delivery directly from within the site itself, “without ever leaving the Hulu environment.” Viewers will reportedly be able to pick up right where they left off in the program after ordering a pie. Yeah. It seems like overkill to us, but eventually (perhaps with more food options) the idea could blossom to something more versatile and innovative. Couch potatoes, rejoice.

corona hulu in stream ad
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hulu also plans to launch a cross-platform interactive ad campaign with Corona Extra this summer, and has a vaguer project – “Hulu 360 Ad” – that the company claims will go “beyond the traditional video ad to serve a groundbreaking viewing experience.” The cryptic new campaign will be powered by a leading 360 design company, Immersive Media. The service plans to triple its content marketing spending to compete in the growing field of original online content.

Returning shows and more updates coming

Hulu also revealed that it has ordered a second season of the Hulu original Deadbeat and set premiere dates for the second season returns of other original programs, such as The Awesomes, Quick Draw, and East Los High – exact dates for the programs were not disclosed in the official blog post.

Finally, Hulu announced a redesign for its Hulu Plus iPhone app this summer, which will reportedly offer a “more intuitive and customized layout” that will allow users to find, organize, and recommend their favorite shows on the service.

It’s already been a busy year for Hulu (and really, for all content-streamers). In order to better compete with its streaming rivals, the company secured a licensing deal with Comcast-owned NBC Universal earlier this month to begin streaming past seasons of exclusive content. And last week, in addition to announcing new remote control functionality for Hulu Plus via mobile devices, the company sparked controversy when it reportedly began blocking VPN users attempting to access the site anonymously.

For more details on the company’s latest moves, you can download the 2014 Hulu Upfront one-sheet here.

Updated by Jeffrey Van Camp: Article rewritten for clarity.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Alex Tretbar
Alex Tretbar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…
HD to 4K: these home theater projectors are up to $2,000 off
The Optoma UHD55 projector.

While TVs are great, if you want to have a large screen TV that goes over 80 inches, you're liable to spend thousands of dollars, and if you want to go over 100 inches, you may not even find any options at all, especially at the consumer level. Luckily, there are a lot of great projectors that can not only hit those targets but exceed them and do it at a much cheaper cost than a regular TV. Even better, there is quite a big sale right now at Crutchfield on home theater projectors, with everything from budget-friendly options to top-of-the-range stuff.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's projector sale
Not all projectors have to be incredibly expensive, and you can grab a great project for a good price with the Optoma HZ40HDR, which is , saving you a solid $450 in the process. It's an FHD projector, although it can handle 4k and HDR sources,  and the bulb has a 30,000-hour life span, which is pretty great for a budget-oriented projector. On the other hand, if you want 4k, Optomo has a good budget option for that too, the Optoma UHD35STx, which is a 4k short-throw projector with HDR10 and HLG HDR going , which isn't a massive discount on the usual $1,549, but it's still pretty good.

Read more
Best AirPods Max deals: New and refurbished for $440
A woman wearing the Apple AirPods Max.

Shopping the best headphone deals will turn up a number of options from a wide variety of headphone brands, but if you’re interested in what Apple has to offer in terms of premium audio, the Apple AirPods Max are where you’ll want to turn. The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones, and while they churn out some impressive audio experiences, they also churn out a hefty price point. With the rumors of AirPods Max 2 going on you’ll be able to find some decent AirPods Max deals out there. We’ve done that hefty lifting for you, however, and have laid out the best AirPods Max deals below. You’ll find deals on both new and refurbished AirPods Max, but click quickly if one of these deals works for you, as Apple deals can be unpredictable and we don’t know how long these will last.
AirPods Max -- $519, were $549

The AirPods Max are Apple's first attempt at a set of over-the-ear headphones. They got a lot of things right. We love these headphones, even when compared against some audiophile options that prioritize sound quality. The AirPods Max have awesome noise cancelling. Everything Apple learned with the earbud-style AirPods works even better with the cup style of the AirPods Max. Along with great ANC comes a great transparency mode. With a twist of the Max's massive knob, you'll go from complete silence to feeling like you're not wearing headphones at all. The audio on phone calls is great as well, and they pair better with the iPhone than any non-Apple headphones could ever hope to.

Read more
Best AirPods Pro deals: Get Apple’s flagship earbuds for $122
The Apple Airpods Pro in their charging case.

Apple’s lineup of headphones has grown over the years. It currently makes a number of AirPods models that can be talked about among the best wireless earbuds. Among them are the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro are regularly in contention to be among the best headphones overall as well, and because of their popularity it can be difficult to track down AirPods Pro deals worth shopping. We’ve managed to find some out there, however, and below we’ve rounded up all of the best AirPods Pro deals you can shop right now. You’ll find discounts on both new and refurbished AirPods Pro models, as well as some information on why each model might be best for you.
Apple AirPods Pro (Refurbished) — $122, was $220

While there’s a newer model of AirPods Pro available, the first generation Apple AirPods Pro can still hold their own against some of the best wireless earbuds. Made for a slightly more premium user than something like the Apple AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro have higher end features, including active noise cancellation and a transparency mode, which allows you to hear and interact with the world around you while you have the headphones on. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is another impressive feature. This makes watching movies and other content a truly immersive experience. This refurbished model of the Apple AirPods Pro comes with free 30-day returns and a 1-year warranty.

Read more