The world waited with baited breath for Hulu to finally announce their subscription service. In case you missed it, Hulu confirmed that they will be offering full seasons of TV shows from NBC, Fox, and ABC at a price of $9.99 per month, including the ability to watch from your iPhone, iPad, and a number of set-top boxes.
As exciting as this news is, I can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed by it. I thought of four reasons why that is. Please keep in mind that I’m aware TV contracts are much more complicated than I’m making them out to be, and I know Hulu will probably be offering some of this stuff down the line. But here’s what’s keeping me from signing up:
Tiered pricing
The reason you hate cable TV is because you pay for a lot of crap you don’t watch. I know this can’t be avoided, but why not come up with a way to tier it per channel? Maybe I don’t watch anything on Fox, and I only want to subscribe to NBC and ABC? Why should I have to pay for Fox if I’m never going to watch it? Let’s give the people the ability to choose what stations they want. And in that same vein…
Open it up to cable offerings
Here’s one I’m oversimplifying, but it still is a valid argument: I’m not going to give up cable to have access to network TV shows for $9.99 a month. I want shows like Mythbusters, Man Caves, and awesome stuff from The Travel Channel. I want Phineas and Ferb (darn it!). Most good network TV shows are in syndication on regular TV. If I’m going to pay for TV, I want a broader offering.
XBox 360/PS3 Integration (for now)
Yeah, I know it’s coming, but two of the biggest platforms for this sort of thing are currently left out while they haggle over contracts or whatever it is. If I were Hulu, I would have waited to announce this service until they were nailed down.
The Killer Alternative to Netflix
Frankly, I don’t see why I would pay for Hulu right now. Netflix continues to broaden their offerings, including cable shows in HD, and I can watch it on my XBox 360, and get DVDs of stuff not streaming, for under $10/month. There’s no killer feature that makes me go “WHOA! I need to go out and get Hulu!”
Will it come? Sure – in time. But right now, I’m saving my money. What is your reaction to the big announcement?
Tom is an entrepreneur and freelance writer, working out of his apartment full-time, or wherever he feels like taking his laptop. He doesn't take long European vacations or blogs on the beach. He's an Average Joe that took control of his life. He wants you to do the same.
