Andre Yoskowitz
28 Apr 2010 19:50
Hulu has shelved plans to expand the streaming service to the UK, citing failed negotiations with British broadcasters.
The extremely popular online video service has been a U.S. exclusive since its launch.
All content deals with the ITV and the BBC have fallen apart, mainly because both now have their own streaming services.
"Hulu’s talks with ITV have come to a halt because the broadcaster wants to focus on growing its own catch up service – ITV Player and not syndicate its content out to a third party at the moment. Conversations with Channel 4 and Five have also not come to any fruition because Hulu wants to sell the advertising inventory around both broadcasters’ content – like it does with US content - and this is not something either broadcaster is willing to concede ON. Hulu has told several people at the British broadcasters that it has been forced to abandon its UK expansion plans after failing to sign any content deals," says a "senior TV executive," via The Telegraph.
Hulu is the second most popular online video site in the United States behind YouTube.
Adds ITV executive Ben McOwen Wilson: "Hulu is a major success in the U.S. but the UK TV market is a different place. It is much more consolidated, which mean there are fewer online locations than in the U.S., which users need to visit to get access to their favourite content –- therefore there is less need for aggregators."