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Disney, News Corp. in Talks Over Hulu: Differences Over the Streaming Service’s Direction Could Be Resolved by One Owner Buying Out the Other

Mar 4, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. have been discussing the future ownership of online video site Hulu, with the possibility of one buying the other out, reports The Wall Street Journal. (Please note that the WSJ is a subscription site, and not all readers may be able to access the story.)

The companies, which each own about a third of Hulu, may also sell to an outsider, the story says. Most of the remaining one-third is owned by Comcast, but regulatory requirements prevent it from voting its stake, the piece reports.

The story cites sources saying the talks are fluid, and adds: “Hulu’s partners put the site on the market in 2011 and decided later not to sell. One of the [sources] cautioned that the companies could decide again to hold on to their interests in Hulu."

The report notes: "For some time, Disney and News Corp. have been at loggerheads over the direction they want Hulu to go. As previously reported, News Corp., parent of the Fox broadcast network and The Wall Street Journal, wants Hulu to focus on its subscription service whereas Disney, which owns the ABC network, prefers the free ad-supported business model."

One Comment

  1. What is this… rocket science? Give people choices… that way you get people from both ends of the content viewing spectrum.
    Not everybody cares for subscription models, some prefer (believe it or not) ad supported content. And vice/versa.
    I’m one of those who prefer ad supported stuff. For video content, I refuse to subscribe to anything. If it isn’t free (meaning ad supported) I won’t watch… and I don’t mean can’t, I mean won’t. I can afford to buy, I simply refuse to.

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