Exec Sees Hulu Charging for Access

Owner Said Free Online Video Site Will Start Charging Fees at Some Point

(AP)  Hulu, the free online video site where television shows and movies can be watched in their entirety, will start charging fees at some point, one of its owners said.

Hulu has struggled to make money despite its popularity as an ad-supported site. News Corp., which co-owns the site with NBC Universal, Walt Disney Co. and Providence Equity Partners, said it hasn't decided what form the subscription model would take.

Chase Carey, News Corp.'s president and chief operating officer, said at a conference in New York on Wednesday that subscription fees could come as early as 2010.

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said last month that the company was considering charging for Hulu, but hadn't made a final decision.

"Are we looking at it with a view of adding subscription services in there and pay-per-view movies? Yes, we are looking at that. No decision has been taken yet," Murdoch said.

News Corp. spokesman Jack Horner said Hulu believes that a free online video site supported by ads is still the model that will "resonate most" with its largest group of users.

It was not clear how a potential purchase by Comcast Corp. of a controlling stake in General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal will affect Hulu. Talks are ongoing.

Hulu isn't the only site planning fees as online operations struggle to make enough money from advertising alone.

Earlier Thursday, Cablevision Systems Corp.'s Newsday newspaper said it would start charging $5 a week for access to online content. Subscribers of Newsday's print edition or Cablevision's Internet access service would be exempted from fees.

[aspectacula]

WOW...charging to view old re-runs...i dont think so!!! seriously...there are other sites i will go to watch shows. its not worth paying for reruns of shows, if i wanted to do that i would go and but the DVDs. not a good move hulu, i will most def, go else where to find shows and trust me its not hard finding sites that allow people to watch for free. HULU isnt the only place..and to support Rupert Murdoch over my dead body!!!! no thanks

[tmittelstaed]

You have to read between the lines here. What Hulu appears to want to do is go head-to-head against Netflix's pay movie streaming service. Meaning that they know they aren't going to get anyone to pay for watching old reruns of The Brady Bunch but they probably can get people to pay to watch streams of the same movies they are paying to watch streams off Netflix.

It's a good deal and frankly I'm glad to see it. Netflix certainly hasn't done squat to give anybody anything for free off their website. What your going to see happening at Hulu is when they start charging it will be for the premium first-run movices and such, but their library of TV shows that only have minorities that want to watch them will be free. The $64K question is going to be how will they handle 1-2 year old TV shows.

[kenhamlett]

Timing is everything. Wait until after I complete the Addams Family series and you can charge all you want.
Seriously though, the commercials are enough. If I have to pay for access, I will just buy the DVDs. It is a good concept in entertainment but it is not indispensable.

I will go somewhere else. They must not be making big bucks while the rest of us are just trying to get by. Big Mistake!

[taxchurches]

Well, I was going to say that if Hulu started charging anything, I would stop watching. Now I won't say that. Now that I realize it is affiliated with Rupert Murdoch, I'll just quit watching it now, instead. I had no idea I was funding that evil empire.

[snaptrap1-2009]

most hulu fans will surf elsewhere...maybe an extra ad will save this site...

[colvinatch]

I guess I'll just have to go back to downloading them for free at bit torrent.

[missme4]

I still am

[scallywag12]

Hulu has left overs for movies and yes...I think they could rot your brains. I rarely find anything worth watching. If they charge, I'm definitely out of there. I'm not going to pay to have my brain rotted.

[DarbyRides]

Charging for viewing means I'm surfing right out of hulu.com (or any other site) or renting a movie.

[billyc555]

What!!!! Rupert Murdoch's not making any money!!!!
Quick everyone! lets organize a bake sale!

[stuart-johns2]

Any site on the web that charges an access fee, I don't go to.

[missme4]

Hulu service is not worth a fee. Most of the movies are pre 1970. Even with broadband the stream can be choppy and irritating to watch. Hulu was kind of cool at first, but with isp's setting download caps it just is not worth the bandwidth.