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Hulu has outed their NBCUniversal Live TV partnership which will come with 50+ launch channels making for a fairly inclusive starting point for the upcoming service. Hulu hasn’t mentioned all of the channels that will be available at launch as part of this new expansion deal but they do offer up some information as to what subscribers will be able to expect. The new deal will offer up access to a spread of NBCU’s channels like NBC, USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, NBC Sports Regional networks for a few different cities including Chicago, and a few other channels.
The cost of the service is still being billed as “under $40” but Hulu is giving a definitive answer yet as to what the service will actually cost. The current rumor though is that it will be $39.99 and include advertisements along with the service, something which may or may not surprise consumers. In addition to the channels listed above, Hulu’s deal with NBCUniversal will also include live access to Syfy, Bravo, and E!, with a chance that more will be added in the future, as the deal includes a general basis for licensing NBCUbiversal’s broadcast affiliates.
Alongside the newly announced deal with NBCUniversal, Hulu’s live TV service is anchored on deals with 21st Century Fox, A&E, Walt Disney, CBS, and the Turner Networks Corporation, and all of what the service has to offer is said to launch sometime this month though no specific date has been given just yet. Whenever it does launch though, it will give Hulu a range of content with which to entice potential customers that isn’t offered by rival streaming service Netflix. Other than the channels and the framework for the licensing of NBC’s broadcast affiliates, the terms of the deal were not disclosed by Hulu or NBCUniversal. With more large networks hopping on board with Hulu’s offering it has the potential to be a big hit with consumers who are seeking avenues that would allow them to cut the cord without having to give up live TV, even if the cost is still relatively high compared to Hulu’s basic streaming option, as it’s still cheaper than cable.