History of Hulu in Timeline
Hulu is a prominent American subscription streaming service owned by Disney Streaming. Launched in 2007, it boasts a substantial subscriber base of 55.5 million paid memberships, making it a leading video-on-demand platform. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices across the United States, Hulu was initially a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal before Disney acquired majority control. It provides a wide array of TV shows and movies to its subscribers, competing with other major streaming services in the industry.
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April 30, 2009: The Walt Disney Company Purchases Stake in Hulu
On April 30, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced its entry into the Hulu venture by purchasing a 27% stake in the company.
November 2009: Hulu Partners with EMI to Host Music Content
In November 2009, Hulu began establishing partnerships with record labels to host music videos and concert performances on the site, including a partnership with EMI.
March 2010: Viacom Removes The Colbert Report and The Daily Show from Hulu
In early March 2010, Viacom announced that it was pulling "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show" off Hulu due to monetization concerns. The programs had been airing on Hulu since 2008.
June 2010: ComScore Updates Scoring Methodology and Estimates for Hulu
Between May and June 2010, ComScore updated its scoring methodology and its estimates for Hulu. Hulu's viewers would go from 43.5 million to 24 million in one month.
June 29, 2010: Hulu Subscription Service Launched
On June 29, 2010, Hulu's subscription service was launched in a software release life cycle.
November 17, 2010: Hulu Plus Officially Launched
On November 17, 2010, the Hulu subscription service was officially launched under the branding Hulu Plus. The service remained advertising-supported but offered an expanded content library.
January 17, 2011: Hulu Streams the First In-House Web Series: The Morning After
On January 17, 2011, Hulu began streaming its own in-house web series, "The Morning After", which is a pop-culture news show produced in collaboration with HDFilms. This marked the company's first venture into content production, as it had previously been primarily a content distributor.
June 1, 2011: Hulu Adds Films from Miramax
On June 1, 2011, Hulu announced an agreement to add hundreds of films from Miramax to its streaming service.
August 15, 2011: Fox Content Authentication Requirement on Hulu
Starting August 15, 2011, Hulu viewers accessing content from Fox and related networks were required to authenticate their paid cable or satellite service to watch episodes the morning after airing, with non-subscribers experiencing a one-week delay.
October 28, 2011: Hulu Signs Deal with The CW for Next-Day Content
On October 28, 2011, Hulu announced a five-year deal with The CW, providing the streaming service with access to next-day content from five of the six major networks.
January 16, 2012: Hulu Announces First Original Scripted Program: Battleground
On January 16, 2012, Hulu announced that it would air its first original script based program, titled "Battleground", in February 2012. This documentary-style political drama was available on Hulu's free web service.
May 21, 2012: Hulu Announces Movie Discussion Show with Kevin Smith: Spoilers
On May 21, 2012, Hulu announced that Kevin Smith would host "Spoilers", a movie discussion show, as part of its original programming lineup, which began airing in mid-2012.
October 2, 2012: Neon Alley Launched as a 24/7 Web Channel
In 2012, Viz Media, Aniplex of America, and other distributors created Neon Alley. It had launched on October 2, 2012, as a 24/7 web channel; but in 2014, it had switched to Hulu-only. Neon Alley was defunct by May 4, 2016.
September 18, 2013: Hulu Announces Multi-Year Deal with BBC
On September 18, 2013, Hulu announced a multi-year deal with the BBC to deliver 2,000 episodes from 144 different titles within the first 12 months.
April 29, 2015: Hulu Discontinues "Hulu Plus" Branding
On April 29, 2015, Hulu announced the discontinuation of the "Hulu Plus" branding, marketing the service simply as "Hulu" to align with subscription-only competitors. At the time, the service had 9 million subscribers.
July 2015: Hulu explores ad-free subscription
In July 2015, Hulu explored launching an advertising-free subscription option for around $12 to $14 a month.
September 2, 2015: Hulu Confirms "No Commercials" Plan
On September 2, 2015, Hulu confirmed the launch of a "No Commercials" plan, priced at $11.99 per month, $4 more than the "Limited Commercials" subscription. Some network series would still retain pre-roll and post-roll ad pods.
May 4, 2016: Hulu Acquires The Beatles: Eight Days a Week
On May 4, 2016, Hulu acquired "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week" as its first documentary acquisition, to be included in a planned Hulu Documentary Films collection. The film premiered theatrically on September 15, before debuting on the streaming service on September 17.
May 2016: Hulu Reaches 12 Million Subscribers
In May 2016, Hulu announced that it had reached 12 million subscribers.
June 16, 2016: Hulu Inks Deal with Disney-ABC Television Group
On June 16, 2016, Hulu announced a deal with the Disney-ABC Television Group for the exclusive SVOD rights to past seasons of seven Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD series, along with over 20 Disney Channel original movies.
August 8, 2016: Hulu Discontinues Free Video on Demand, Syndicates to Yahoo! Screen
On August 8, 2016, Hulu announced it would discontinue its free video-on-demand content and syndicate it to Yahoo! on a new website called Yahoo! Screen. Hulu's website would then be exclusively devoted to its subscription service.
August 12, 2016: Release of 'Joshy' Film
On August 12, 2016, the film "Joshy", for which Lionsgate Premiere and Hulu jointly acquired distribution rights in March 2016, was released.
September 18, 2016: The CW Agreement with Hulu Ends
On September 18, 2016, The CW's agreement with Hulu concluded. In-season streaming of current CW programs moved to the network's own digital platforms, and Netflix began to carry past seasons of The CW's programs through 2019.
November 1, 2016: Agreement to Supply Channels to Hulu's Live Streaming Service
On November 1, 2016, co-owners 21st Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company agreed to supply their channels to Hulu's streaming service.
December 2016: Hulu Begins Streaming Content in 4K
In December 2016, Hulu began streaming content in 4K, limited to its original content.
2016: Critics' Choice Documentary Award for The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
At the 2016 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, Hulu's documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years, won Best Music Documentary.
2016: Hulu Receives First Emmy and Golden Globe Nominations
At the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2016, Hulu received its first Emmy Award nominations for its Original series, 11.22.63 and for Triumph's Election Special 2016. In 2016, Hulu received its first Golden Globe Awards nomination for its original series Casual for TV series, Comedy.
April 2017: Hulu Signs First-Run License Deal with Annapurna Pictures
In April 2017, Hulu signed a first-run license deal with Annapurna Pictures and also has output deals with IFC Films and Magnolia Pictures.
May 3, 2017: Hulu Launches Live TV in Beta
On May 3, 2017, Hulu launched "Hulu with Live TV" in beta, featuring content from NBCUniversal, A+E Networks, CBS Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive.
2017: Grammy Award for Best Music Film
In 2017, the Hulu documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years received Grammy Awards for Best Music Film at the 2017 Grammy Awards and Best Documentary at the 16th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards.
January 2018: Hulu Announces 17 Million Subscribers
In January 2018, Hulu announced that it had reached 17 million subscribers.
April 2018: Hulu Partners with Spotify
In April 2018, Hulu announced a partnership with Spotify, offering users a discounted price per month when purchasing both streaming services. Students received an even larger discount.
May 2018: Hulu Reaches 800,000 Subscribers
By May 2018, the Hulu + Live TV service had reached 800,000 subscribers.
May 2018: Hulu Surpasses 20 Million Subscribers
In May 2018, Hulu announced it surpassed 20 million subscribers in the United States.
May 2018: Hulu Announces License Deal with DreamWorks Animation
In May 2018, Hulu announced its first-ever license deal with DreamWorks Animation (DWA), becoming the exclusive streaming home for future DWA movies and library films. Films will be available in 2019, and original series will be available later in 2020.
May 2018: Hulu Introduces 5.1 Surround Sound
In May 2018, Hulu introduced 5.1 surround sound on select devices for its original content.
October 2018: PocketWatch Launches Episodes on Hulu
In October 2018, PocketWatch launched 90 22-minute episodes of repackaged content from their YouTube creator partners on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
November 29, 2018: Hulu + Live TV Adds Discovery Networks
On November 29, 2018, Hulu + Live TV added the Discovery Networks to its core offering.
December 4, 2018: Hulu Confirms Exclusive SVOD Deal with Funimation
On December 4, 2018, Hulu confirmed an exclusive multi-year first-look SVOD deal with Funimation, which was later folded into the Disney-Sony deal on April 21, 2021.
January 23, 2019: Hulu Announces Price Drop for Basic Ad-Supported Plan
On January 23, 2019, Hulu announced a $2 price drop for the basic ad-supported plan to $5.99.
June 2019: Hulu and FX Sign Output Deal with Lionsgate
In June 2019, Hulu and FX signed an output deal with Lionsgate, granting them streaming and television rights to films released under the Lionsgate label in 2020 and 2021.
July 2019: 4K Video Reintroduced
In July 2019, Hulu quietly reintroduced 4K video after it was rolled back in 2018. The 4K is available only on original content.
August 2019: Hulu Agrees to Control Streaming Rights for Bleecker Street Films
In August 2019, Hulu agreed to control the streaming rights to films released by Bleecker Street.
November 2019: Disney+ Available in Bundle with Hulu and ESPN+
Since the launch of Disney+ in November 2019, the service has been available in the United States in a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+, priced at $12.99 per month for the ad-supported tier of Hulu, and $18.99 for the ad-free tier of Hulu.
December 2019: Hulu + Live TV Price Increase
In December 2019, the price for Hulu + Live TV had been increased to $54.99 per month, having previously been raised to $44.99.
March 2, 2020: Hulu Launches "FX on Hulu" Hub
On March 2, 2020, Hulu launched a dedicated "hub" for content from FX branded as "FX on Hulu", offering exclusive streaming of current and past series from the network.
November 2020: Hulu + Live TV Increases Price Again
In November 2020, the rate for Hulu + Live TV increased to $64.99 per month. The ad-free plan with Live TV included also increased to $70.99.
2020: Hulu's The Bravest Knight Wins GLAAD Media Award
In 2020, Hulu original series The Bravest Knight won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming.
January 14, 2021: Searchlight's Nomadland to Release on Hulu and Theaters
On January 14, 2021, it was announced that Searchlight's "Nomadland" would be released on Hulu on February 19, alongside a limited theatrical and drive-in run in the United States, following an exclusive 3-week IMAX engagement.
January 19, 2021: NewsNation Launches on Hulu + Live TV
On January 19, 2021, Nexstar's NewsNation launched on Hulu + Live TV.
April 21, 2021: Disney Reaches Deal for Sony Pictures Film Rights
On April 21, 2021, Disney secured a deal for television and streaming rights to Sony Pictures films from 2022 through 2026, including library rights and post-pay-one window rights for new releases across Disney+, Hulu, and Disney's television channels.
August 2021: Hulu Adds HDR for Original Content
In August 2021, Hulu added HDR for some of its original content.
August 31, 2021: Disney to Fold Hotstar US into Hulu
On August 31, 2021, Disney announced that it would fold the American version of Hotstar into Hulu in late 2022, migrating its original entertainment content. Star India Networks programming has been available to Hulu subscribers since August 2021.
October 8, 2021: Hulu Announces Price Increase
On October 8, 2021, Disney announced that Hulu would be getting a price increase. The ad-supported Hulu plan would increase from $5.99 to $6.99 a month, while the ad-free Hulu plan would increase from $11.99 to $12.99 a month.
November 14, 2022: Hulu Adds Hallmark Channel and Other Content
On November 14, 2022, Hulu announced that it had added The Weather Channel and Comedy.TV at the start of the month and that Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries would be added that day.
August 2024: Fubo Wins Lawsuit Against ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery
In August 2024, Fubo won a lawsuit against ESPN Inc. (majority-owned by Disney), Fox Corporation, and Warner Bros. Discovery, and was granted a preliminary injection to stop the launch of a sports streaming joint venture.
January 6, 2025: FuboTV Agrees to Sell Majority Stake to Disney and Merge with Hulu Live TV
On January 6, 2025, FuboTV agreed to sell a 70% majority stake in its vMVPD business to Disney and merge with Hulu's live TV service.
March 3, 2025: Hulu Streams the 97th Academy Awards with Technical Issues
On March 3, 2025, Hulu streamed the 97th Academy Awards in simulcast with ABC, marking the first time the Oscars were streamed on the platform. However, the airing experienced technical problems, including server outages and the live event ending prematurely.
May 22, 2025: Hulu Reaches Agreement with TelevisaUnivision
On May 22, 2025, Hulu reached a carriage agreement with TelevisaUnivision, adding Univision, UniMás, TUDN, and Galavisión to Hulu + Live TV beginning June 3, 2025.
June 3, 2025: Univision Channels Added to Hulu + Live TV
On June 3, 2025, as part of the carriage agreement with TelevisaUnivision, Univision, UniMás, TUDN, and Galavisión were added to Hulu + Live TV.
September 30, 2025: FuboTV Stockholders Approve Merger with Hulu + Live TV
On September 30, 2025, FuboTV stockholders approved a planned merger with Hulu + Live TV, forming a larger company controlled by Disney, which will own approximately 70% of the new entity. Fubo's CEO will lead the new Fubo, and both services will remain separate post-merger.
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