Paying Hulu Subscribers Jumps by 50 Percent in Last Year

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,399
Hulu is having a good year; a very good year. Hulu announced this week that the streaming service had increased its paying subscriber base by 50% within the last year.

Hulu also announced a new deal with AMC to stream content that AMC makes from its own studio, which includes the brand new 'Fear the Walking Dead' spinoff series.
Click to expand...
 
I still don't get Hulu's attraction.

We bombard you with ads.
So you pay us.
So we still bombard you with ads. You just have more content we can bombard you with ads for...

This is why Amazon and Netflix will continue to get my money.
 
Chas said:
I still don't get Hulu's attraction.

We bombard you with ads.
So you pay us.
So we still bombard you with ads. You just have more content we can bombard you with ads for...

This is why Amazon and Netflix will continue to get my money.
Click to expand...

And other than their original content, how much new run episodes does Amazon Instant and Netflix have?

People need to understand that $7/mo isn't going to pay for new run shows alone. It's not going to happen. When you have shit heads like Charlie Sheen making $2MILLION an episode for 2.5 Men, or each main character of Big Bang Theory getting $1MILLION an episode, a subscriber base paying $7/mo isn't going to pay their salaries alone.

Think of it this way, you pay your cable company even more and for even more ads, you just happen to also pay even more for a box that lets you record and fast forward the ads. For me, that cost is far too much compared to watching a few ads per episode on Hulu.

To each their own. I just think people need to start being realistic about advertising and the cost of the shows they watch.

FYI Judge Judy makes something like a half million an episode. That's fucking insane.
 
Chas said:
I still don't get Hulu's attraction.

We bombard you with ads.
So you pay us.
So we still bombard you with ads. You just have more content we can bombard you with ads for...

This is why Amazon and Netflix will continue to get my money.
Click to expand...

I agree but I think the biggest appeal they have with people is they have the current seasons of some shows. I however will gladly be a season behind on the shows I'm watching if it means I dont have to sit through a ton of boring ads.
 
Ummm, except that there is no more content even with the paid Hulu sub. Worse, they link to a ton of trailers and one minute bits.
 
Nope, not for me. Didn't cut cable years ago to go back to ads now...
 
TwiceOver said:
And other than their original content, how much new run episodes does Amazon Instant and Netflix have?

People need to understand that $7/mo isn't going to pay for new run shows alone. It's not going to happen. When you have shit heads like Charlie Sheen making $2MILLION an episode for 2.5 Men, or each main character of Big Bang Theory getting $1MILLION an episode, a subscriber base paying $7/mo isn't going to pay their salaries alone.

Think of it this way, you pay your cable company even more and for even more ads, you just happen to also pay even more for a box that lets you record and fast forward the ads. For me, that cost is far too much compared to watching a few ads per episode on Hulu.

To each their own. I just think people need to start being realistic about advertising and the cost of the shows they watch.

FYI Judge Judy makes something like a half million an episode. That's fucking insane.
Click to expand...

+1 Most comments and posts seem to have pretty insane expectations imo. The industry will go kicking and screaming to any system where they will make less money then they are now.

Hulu has more current TV shows and that is paid for by their ads.

I keep saying I would pay cable TV prices (top tier ~80) for 90% of 1 year old content without commercials on-demand. But that is a tough pill to swallow since they get that now for scheduled content WITH commercials... SO I just use netflix to rent the DVD/BR or pirate the shows I want.

I am more than happy to pay for the content I want in the manor I want... but if that is not available (its easier if it is), then I am happy to pirate it as well. Heck its just as easy as using a DVR these days.
 
I like hulu and it's cheap enough I don't care. The adds are still less frequent and shorter. I would prefer the option for a $15 sub and no adds but meh.

There is more content with the paid if you want to watch older episodes. Unpaid frequently caps you at the 5 most recent episodes of something.

I like the feeling being closer to watching live tv with being able to watch new releases and flip between series. I have a server packed to the brim with content and almost never use it because I just want to channel surf as strange as that sounds.

The should add more variety to the commercials tho. It's not uncommon to see the same commercial every single break.
 
1: I don't mind being a season behind so long as I'm not being bombarded by ads on a 1:1 ratio with the programming.

2: I don't pay for cable. I haven't been able to get cable in my building for about 4 years due to my idiot landlords and my refusal to go with their hand-picked satellite/DSL reseller (combination of insane markup and atrocious service).

3: I haven't actually had a television hooked up for close to 10 years. Outside of a few things like Doctor Who, I don't miss television at all. And I was someone who was basically GRAFTED to the TV when I was a kid.

You're right, $7-10 isn't enough to justify ad-free.

Now look at Netflix with 63 MILLION subscribers.

On a per-user basis it isn't a huge amount. Aggregate? That's a big hunk of change.

Additionally, how much does the bandwidth wasted by said ads actually cost in the long run?
 
TwiceOver said:
And other than their original content, how much new run episodes does Amazon Instant and Netflix have?

People need to understand that $7/mo isn't going to pay for new run shows alone. It's not going to happen. When you have shit heads like Charlie Sheen making $2MILLION an episode for 2.5 Men, or each main character of Big Bang Theory getting $1MILLION an episode, a subscriber base paying $7/mo isn't going to pay their salaries alone.

Think of it this way, you pay your cable company even more and for even more ads, you just happen to also pay even more for a box that lets you record and fast forward the ads. For me, that cost is far too much compared to watching a few ads per episode on Hulu.

To each their own. I just think people need to start being realistic about advertising and the cost of the shows they watch.

FYI Judge Judy makes something like a half million an episode. That's fucking insane.
Click to expand...

The great thing about the free market is that if people don't pay companies like Hulu then those actors won't make that kind of money which will in turn lower the prices for everyone.
 
dandirk said:
Hulu has more current TV shows and that is paid for by their ads.QUOTE]

Wait, and this is a good thing? Most current TV shows are terribad. :rolleyes: Also, if I want to watch most "current" TV shows, I will just record them through my OTA antenna and skip the commercials. How about giving me a good reason to pay for Hulu.
Click to expand...
 
OEM said:
The great thing about the free market is that if people don't pay companies like Hulu then those actors won't make that kind of money which will in turn lower the prices for everyone.
Click to expand...

Or we will just see more of what we already see a lot of on the networks (cheap reality TV) ... it is hard to get good dramas and comedy shows without some good actors and writers (and those will cost) ...

if the advertising dollars disappear and the cost of shows decrease then we will just see more activity on the theater front (where there is more money to pay talent and bigger budgets) ... the elimination of high dollar elements from shows (special effects and big name actors) ... and significantly shorter seasons (10-12 show seasons like we get with internet shows and BBC) ... we might also get fewer long running shows as a show that runs for 5-10 years will be much more expensive than a show that runs for 3 years
 
People seem to have this idea that we're living in a post-scarcity and post-money society where people produce stuff for the pure joy of it.
 
Smashing Young Man said:
People seem to have this idea that we're living in a post-scarcity and post-money society where people produce stuff for the pure joy of it.
Click to expand...

The closest people have to that is YouTube (and even it is fueled by advertising) ... if they want every program to be the quality of the average YouTube program I am sure the Networks would be happy to oblige ;)
 
Its not that they're intentionally paying hulu, they just forgot to cancel when the free trial ended.
 
dandirk said:
+1 Most comments and posts seem to have pretty insane expectations imo. The industry will go kicking and screaming to any system where they will make less money then they are now.

Hulu has more current TV shows and that is paid for by their ads.

I keep saying I would pay cable TV prices (top tier ~80) for 90% of 1 year old content without commercials on-demand. But that is a tough pill to swallow since they get that now for scheduled content WITH commercials... SO I just use netflix to rent the DVD/BR or pirate the shows I want.

I am more than happy to pay for the content I want in the manor I want... but if that is not available (its easier if it is), then I am happy to pirate it as well. Heck its just as easy as using a DVR these days.
Click to expand...

Then let them swallow the pill of vpns and torrents where they get ZERO revenue. The bottom will continue to fall until some point they realize they need to shift models.


If hulu needs more money then charge a higher price for no ads, problem solved. I read somewhere that hulu gets around 7-8 more dollars on average from hulu plus subscribers via the commercial views. So that is about 16 dollars of revenue from the hulu plus customer with fees and ads. Why not just.. you know, charge 16 dollars for a higher tier of hulu with no ads? It does not even need to be EVERYTHING with no ads, how about 4-5 selected shows you are following where the ad money would be replaced by the additional direct subscription fees?

No? Then screw hulu and their crap business model. Fools who buy into that garbage model do nothing but prolong the inferior delivery that is ad based content. That needs to migrate to youtube, not the long form stuff.
 
tybert7 said:
Then let them swallow the pill of vpns and torrents where they get ZERO revenue. The bottom will continue to fall until some point they realize they need to shift models.


If hulu needs more money then charge a higher price for no ads, problem solved. I read somewhere that hulu gets around 7-8 more dollars on average from hulu plus subscribers via the commercial views. So that is about 16 dollars of revenue from the hulu plus customer with fees and ads. Why not just.. you know, charge 16 dollars for a higher tier of hulu with no ads? It does not even need to be EVERYTHING with no ads, how about 4-5 selected shows you are following where the ad money would be replaced by the additional direct subscription fees?

No? Then screw hulu and their crap business model. Fools who buy into that garbage model do nothing but prolong the inferior delivery that is ad based content. That needs to migrate to youtube, not the long form stuff.
Click to expand...

VPNs and Torrents should not be an option ... you either have access to the materials through the legal channels or you abstain ... taking the materials for free when someone does not agree with the pricing should not be an option and should never be encouraged or condoned (yes I know that the reality is that it will happen but we should never rationalize it or condone it)

Even with a higher member fee it still does not get around the question of the cost of the shows ... better shows are currently more expensive ... even if we assume that the show could use no name actors, film on a Hollywood set, use no special effects, reduce the season length from 22-24 episodes to 10, and reduce the maximum seasons from 7-12 to 3-5 it could still be reasonably expensive to make shows (if any of those cost savings are not acceptable then the show price goes up very quickly) ... also, if ads are totally eliminated we could see a return to sponsored programs (where you get a single ad at the start, middle, and end) and product placement throughout the show (everybody will drive a Ford or Chevy, everybody will drink Cokes with the labels prominently displayed, all computers will be Apples, etc)
 
kbrickley said:
VPNs and Torrents should not be an option ... you either have access to the materials through the legal channels or you abstain ... taking the materials for free when someone does not agree with the pricing should not be an option and should never be encouraged or condoned (yes I know that the reality is that it will happen but we should never rationalize it or condone it)

Even with a higher member fee it still does not get around the question of the cost of the shows ... better shows are currently more expensive ... even if we assume that the show could use no name actors, film on a Hollywood set, use no special effects, reduce the season length from 22-24 episodes to 10, and reduce the maximum seasons from 7-12 to 3-5 it could still be reasonably expensive to make shows (if any of those cost savings are not acceptable then the show price goes up very quickly) ... also, if ads are totally eliminated we could see a return to sponsored programs (where you get a single ad at the start, middle, and end) and product placement throughout the show (everybody will drive a Ford or Chevy, everybody will drink Cokes with the labels prominently displayed, all computers will be Apples, etc)
Click to expand...

Hi All

I agree that VPNs & Torrents shouldn't be a option. However, both Amazon & Netflix are able to provide quality programming without commercials. I'd put Daredevil from Netflix & Bosch from Amazon up against any show on commercial supported programming. Quality shows can be made without using commercial revenue to pay for them.
 
Lmao.. So would everyone that's bitching about Hulu's business model please go ahead and prove them wrong by doing it right..

I have paid subs top hulu, Netflix, and amazon prime. I watch more hulu then the others simply because it has more current tv shows then the others. Sitting through the ads isn't nearly as painful as ota/cable tv commercials. There isn't as many and they aren't as long.
 
bastage said:
Lmao.. So would everyone that's bitching about Hulu's business model please go ahead and prove them wrong by doing it right..

I have paid subs top hulu, Netflix, and amazon prime. I watch more hulu then the others simply because it has more current tv shows then the others. Sitting through the ads isn't nearly as painful as ota/cable tv commercials. There isn't as many and they aren't as long.
Click to expand...

Hi All

No ones saying that Hulu is wrong, they're saying that it isn't for them. If Hulu works for you, have at it. However, there are folk who choose not to use their service. Nothing wrong with that.
 
TwiceOver said:
And other than their original content, how much new run episodes does Amazon Instant and Netflix have?

People need to understand that $7/mo isn't going to pay for new run shows alone. It's not going to happen. When you have shit heads like Charlie Sheen making $2MILLION an episode for 2.5 Men, or each main character of Big Bang Theory getting $1MILLION an episode, a subscriber base paying $7/mo isn't going to pay their salaries alone.

Think of it this way, you pay your cable company even more and for even more ads, you just happen to also pay even more for a box that lets you record and fast forward the ads. For me, that cost is far too much compared to watching a few ads per episode on Hulu.

To each their own. I just think people need to start being realistic about advertising and the cost of the shows they watch.

FYI Judge Judy makes something like a half million an episode. That's fucking insane.
Click to expand...

I am realistic and hulu needs to raise their sub price and eliminate the ads. I'll pay for an ad free experience. If I wanted ads I would still have cable. Netflix and Amazon do it right, hulu doesn't. Sadly to many have been on the cable overpay and still get flooded with ads for so long they don't truly understand they are getting screwed.
 
Torrents and Private Internet Access are still the way to go. Better quality, no commercials, and whatever you want to watch is all there for the taking any time of any moment. Torrents will always be the best way to get anything for the foreseeable future. Go get a VPN. Costs just as much as Hulu, but you can get anything you want... Including games.
 
MisterHipster said:
Torrents and Private Internet Access are still the way to go. Better quality, no commercials, and whatever you want to watch is all there for the taking any time of any moment. Torrents will always be the best way to get anything for the foreseeable future. Go get a VPN. Costs just as much as Hulu, but you can get anything you want... Including games.
Click to expand...

How about we don't advocate piracy?
 
MisterHipster said:
Torrents and Private Internet Access are still the way to go. Better quality, no commercials, and whatever you want to watch is all there for the taking any time of any moment. Torrents will always be the best way to get anything for the foreseeable future. Go get a VPN. Costs just as much as Hulu, but you can get anything you want... Including games.
Click to expand...
Yeah . . . let's all go that route see how much longer we actually have new quality content to enjoy. People like you are worthless bottom feeders.
 
MisterHipster said:
Torrents and Private Internet Access are still the way to go. Better quality, no commercials, and whatever you want to watch is all there for the taking any time of any moment. Torrents will always be the best way to get anything for the foreseeable future. Go get a VPN. Costs just as much as Hulu, but you can get anything you want... Including games.
Click to expand...

This model only works because someone else is willing to pay for the products that the parasites using torrents obtain at no cost ... that model is only sustainable as long as there is a sufficient base of responsible users who are not willing to steal the work of others without compensating them for their effort ... you should encourage as many people as possible to subscribe to cable and legal online services if you wish the illegal model to continue to be viable
 
TwiceOver said:
And other than their original content, how much new run episodes does Amazon Instant and Netflix have?

People need to understand that $7/mo isn't going to pay for new run shows alone. It's not going to happen. When you have shit heads like Charlie Sheen making $2MILLION an episode for 2.5 Men, or each main character of Big Bang Theory getting $1MILLION an episode, a subscriber base paying $7/mo isn't going to pay their salaries alone.

Think of it this way, you pay your cable company even more and for even more ads, you just happen to also pay even more for a box that lets you record and fast forward the ads. For me, that cost is far too much compared to watching a few ads per episode on Hulu.

To each their own. I just think people need to start being realistic about advertising and the cost of the shows they watch.

FYI Judge Judy makes something like a half million an episode. That's fucking insane.
Click to expand...

House of Cards had a 100 million budget for 26 episodes.

Netflix 0 ads, constant consumer growth, more new original series then any other service like it ( hulu/Amazon).

I will support netflix long before I give a dime to Hulu or anything that runs commericals and interrupts a show/movie with them.

I got tired of watching a 30minute show only to have 12 minutes of commerical breaks, fuck that, I ain't supporting it.
 
Stiler said:
House of Cards had a 100 million budget for 26 episodes.

Netflix 0 ads, constant consumer growth, more new original series then any other service like it ( hulu/Amazon).
Click to expand...
That's one series over two years. The big 3 broadcast networks will do something like 10 or more separate 20+ episode series over the course of a single broadcast season. Netflix, being bigger has more original content than Amazon Prime or Hulu, but much less so than the ad-supported broadcast networks and only roughly comparable to the carriage fee/ad networks like AMC or FX.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top