CBS in talks to add video to Hulu Plus
updated 06:05 pm EDT, Mon August 2, 2010
CBS hopes to bring TV to paid Hulu service
CBS' CEO Les Moonves this afternoon admitted that his studio was in talks to bring TV shows to Hulu Plus. He explained that the addition of the $10 monthly option changed the dynamics as it meant CBS could get paid in more than one way "without hurting the mother ship." No timeframe was given for when CBS might arrive if a deal is struck.
The TV network has been the lone major holdout on Hulu, which was co-founded by Fox and NBC and which has since added ABC and its sister studio Disney. Unlike the others, it wanted as much control over content as possible and has steered most traffic to its main website, where it has accommodated mobile devices so far by using iPad-friendly HTML5.
Adding CBS would give Hulu a major advantage by covering most of the over-the-air and basic cable programming in the US. All four majors have been willing to offer shows to online services in the past, but previously only to iTunes and other stores that sell by the episode. It will also be the first
The move could affect the business of companies like Apple that participate in the old model, but it's rumored the company may be developing iTunes TV rentals to lower the price of adoption.
