Hulu Adds Commercial-Free Viewing

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Hulu announced today that it is offering a commercial-free option to subscribers. Yay! The bad news is that it will cost you an additional $4 per month. Boo! :(

Today Hulu is offering a commercial-free option to subscribers. Viewers now have the choice to watch Hulu commercial free for $11.99 per month or with limited commercials for $7.99 per month. Current Hulu subscribers will maintain their existing subscription, but will have the choice to switch to the commercial-free option at any time for an additional $4 per month. For viewers who choose to watch content with limited commercials, Hulu will continue to show fewer commercials than scheduled television.
 
That is great they are responding at least to the desires of their subscribers. Hopefully the idea of a media outlet listening to their consumers keeps gaining traction.
 
Just tried to sign up for this...

Due to streaming rights, the shows below are not included in our No Commercials plan. You can still watch these shows interruption-free. They will play with a short commercial before and after each episode. The shows are: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, New Girl, Grimm and How To Get Away With Murder.
Click to expand...

I watch three of those /facepalm
 
Likely those commercials are ones for show sponsors that are contractually required to be shown with the shows. Hulu can only cut out their own commercials. But hey at least it is only at the beginning and end.
 
I'm surprised people aren't blowing up over the fine print. Many of the shows are exempt from the no commercial bit and will still run commercials before and after each episode. For example Grey's Anatomy, New Girl, and Grimm.
 
ocellaris said:
Just tried to sign up for this...

"Due to streaming rights, the shows below are not included in our No Commercials plan. You can still watch these shows interruption-free. They will play with a short commercial before and after each episode. The shows are: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, New Girl, Grimm and How To Get Away With Murder."

I watch three of those /facepalm
Click to expand...

I was going to look into subscribing. Now I'm not.
 
SparkedFire said:
I was going to look into subscribing. Now I'm not.
Click to expand...

1. The show is not interrupted, just a pre/post commercial.
2. By contract they must show the commercial. So even if Hulu didn't charge anything and said "FU commercials", they would have to show it. Don't bitch at Hulu..bitch at the show.
 
I may actually sign up for Hulu now. I am actually fine with pre/post commercials -- it's the interruptions that are the irritating part.
 
And I don't believe for a second they show fewer commercials.
 
I used to like Hulu - still watch for some stuff but it's... just not the same as when Hulu first came out :p
 
Nothing new really... you will see this more in the future, once cable cutting becomes mainstream....

just more nickel and diming you to get those $$..

its just another middleman , for the media companies to get paid.. not Hulu's fault..
 
Lol, I'll save the $90 a year and put up with the minimalist commercials Hulu already has.

The rest can continue to pay Hulu more money for little effect.
 
I put my subscription on near-permanent hold, the commercials were getting longer and worse. The network content was also getting worse.

The commercial free option not being truly commercial free.. with campaign season starting early this year.. I think it's time to cancel and switch to piracy
 
So extra money to get rid of just SOME commercials? Lame, they can stuff it.
 
It looks like almost all of Hulu's current listings require a subscription now; very little free.
 
Do you guys know who owns Hulu? Primarily NBC, Fox, ABC, the founders of Hulu. Guess who owns the rights/negotiates the contracts for these shows requiring commercials that Hulu "has no control over?" On top of that, they are charging MORE for commercial-free, and yet it does not exempt every show. It's not like they made these changes to the existing PAID service. If enough people cancelled their TV subscriptions and refused to watch shows on anything but commercial-free services, these "unavoidable contract commercial obligations" would quickly disappear.

I would have subbed to Hulu right away if they made this change universal. But as long as exemptions exist, no way!
 
Hulu seems like pure evil to me. Had a subscription for an hour and the commercials were unacceptable. Never going back.
 
I don't watch any of the shows they mentioned. I already have Hulu plus so it's 4 bucks extra, I'm going to try it and see.
 
Now just if that extra $4/month would get Hulu to stop requiring TV Service attached to the account to unlock certain shows, especially when your only cable provider isn't listed. Yup not bitter...
 
Pyro411 said:
Now just if that extra $4/month would get Hulu to stop requiring TV Service attached to the account to unlock certain shows, especially when your only cable provider isn't listed. Yup not bitter...
Click to expand...

That's a requirement put on them from the providers. Those shows are only available contractually if you're a pre-existing subscriber to a cable/sat provider.

Now, there are ways around it. You can use a friends cable/sat account to authenticate or there's a few gray-market accounts you can get to authenticate with.
 
Finally, I may consider actually paying for a Hulu subscription. Tried a trial once and cancelled and left feedback that I was NOT happy they didn't even offer a no commercial option.

Sucks about the fine print exemptions, but at least it's not in the middle of the show.
 
I watch Hulu and Prime with Hulu being 80-90% of my viewing. I will be all over this.
 
I tossed in the extra $4, looking forward to (mostly) commercial free viewing of the upcoming seasons. When I pasted the list of shows with commericals earlier, I wasn't trying to present that like I wouldn't pay the $4 now.
 
they also limit you to one stream per account at any time. so if you have more than one tv, console, mobile device, anyone else in your family is out of luck.
 
When I last had Hulu, they couldn't manage to write reliable apps for the PS3 or FireTV, plus the commercials. So unless they get sold off to an independent company...like Netflix....no thanks.
 
Dan_D said:
An commercial at the beginning and end isn't nearly as bad as commercials during the episode.
Click to expand...

I agree. I really don't understand the complaints. It's not like you have to listen to the commercial before and you can probably close your browser and skip the commercial that plays afterwards.

Assuming you can watch this weeks episode, that's a much better deal than I expected.
 
I thought I already paid $8 month for this? Oh yeah, I did back in the day and guess what? They added the fracking commercials! Now they want $4 more for "mostly commercial free".

Screw that.
 
Trepidati0n said:
1. The show is not interrupted, just a pre/post commercial.
2. By contract they must show the commercial. So even if Hulu didn't charge anything and said "FU commercials", they would have to show it. Don't bitch at Hulu..bitch at the show.
Click to expand...

That's not my problem. Looks like they were signing deals with no long term strategy.
 
nilepez said:
I agree. I really don't understand the complaints. It's not like you have to listen to the commercial before and you can probably close your browser and skip the commercial that plays afterwards.

Assuming you can watch this weeks episode, that's a much better deal than I expected.
Click to expand...

I'm sure Netflix won't be far behind if they can squeeze an extra $4 with an ad free version.
 
SparkedFire said:
I'm sure Netflix won't be far behind if they can squeeze an extra $4 with an ad free version.
Click to expand...

Not likely. There model is completely different. It'd be like HBO adding commercials.
The only way they could possibly pull it off is if they raised prices and 6 months or a year later, they offer a commercial supported version for less.

Personally, this is the first version of Hulu that kinda interests me. As I recall, Hulu Plus always had commercials...it just had less. Does Hulu have 5.1 surround?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top