It’s not possible to write an original title about Hulu
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008“Hulu-baloo” has been used already many times, even though the site has been officially live and open to the net-surfing public for just over a month.
I’ve been watching BattleStar Galactica (and other things) on Hulu, the new NBC and News Corp online video site, and enjoying it, even with the ads. I ditched my cable a long time ago, and get my TV from the net and DVDs. But when you want to really engage with a show and the fan community, you need to watch it as close to the time of original airing as possible. BSG comes out on Hulu a day or so after it aired on the Sci Fi channel, which is the way it should be.
Or maybe it needs to be sooner, as this Wall Street Journal blog post suggests. In my opinion, the goal is to make the online content not just available, but convenient. Streaming is faster than downloading and more convenient (provided your computer is set up correctly), so get them hooked on your online site and hopefully they won’t go seeking out the torrent anytime soon.
Things change very quickly, and who knows where online TV will be by the time Hulu celebrates its first birthday. But finding the right mix of easily accessible content, carefully targeted ads, and possibly special perks for members should make it possible for networks to keep a decent share of the online TV viewer. Make it easy, and they will come.