Hulu was first announced in March and was originally seen as a rival to Google’s YouTube, which had come under scrutiny for copyright infringement. NBC wanted a site where they could generated more revenue from online content than was given to them from such sites as YouTube and iTunes.
Hulu evolved to add Fox, Sony, MGM, and their various subsidiaries to the lineup. There were planes to allow for downloadable content that the user could purchase, similar to iTunes. If Hulu wants to survive they will have to embrace that fact. People will add the shows they want to the computers, iPods, and such. If they can’t get it easy and legal, well you know where they’ll go.
There’s a strong lineup of online content in the form of shows and some movies. However, there seems to be a 5 week backlog which doesn’t allow a new visitor or die-hard fan to catch up on an entire season. Also, no uploading it looks like right now which takes it out of the running in comparison to YouTube and Google Video.
Hulu can be a real advantage for such events like the Olympics if they can offer video feeds. NBC announced they will stream tons of content online next year for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
