CBS Considering Offering TV Shows Via Hulu
In a recent interview, CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves said CBS is in talks to bring some of its TV shows to Hulu. According to Moonves, the talks are focused on Hulu Plus, a paid subscription service that launched in June and costs $9.
CBS is the only major broadcaster who doesn't currently offer shows through Hulu. Initially, CBS stayed away from Hulu in an effort to ensure flexibility. With the introduction of a subscription option, CBS is now interested in exploring its options with Hulu.
"Are we having discussions with the Hulu subscription service? Yes we are," Moonves said. "Our goal is to get paid for our content in as many different ways as we can without hurting the mother ship. The key here is flexibility."
For a while now, CBS executives have said that one of the main issues with Hulu was control and exclusivity. The No. 1 U.S. broadcaster has preferred a wide range of partners across the Web and therefore did not want to feature its programs exclusively on Hulu.
Data from analytics firm comScore notes that Hulu has become one of the fastest growing TV sites since it was launched in 2007. In May, Hulu had around 43.5 million viewers.