Two key investors said last week that Hulu.com, the popular Internet TV service, might add pay services.
Speaking at an investor conference, News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker revealed that they are looking at ways to monetize Hulu.com’s content. Hulu is a popular Web destination featuring movies and TV shows from content partners including FOX, NBC Universal, ABC and Disney.
Although the hosted content is currently ad-supported by way of commercials interspersed into the video streams, Hulu is exploring other revenue options including subscription services and pay-per-view programs.
”Are we looking at it with a view toward adding subscription services and pay per view? Yes, we are,” Murdoch told the investors. However, he was quick to add that “no decisions have been made yet.”
“Whether there are other ways to monetize Hulu down the road, it is something that we are open to, something we will explore,” Zucker added.
Some news reports say that Hulu is already beta-testing a subscription-based service internally and is working out the technical requirements.
