Hulu scraps plans to launch in UK

Hulu has axed plans to launch its online TV service in the UK after talks with the major British broadcasters collapsed, according to a report in The Telegraph.

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Senior broadcasting executives said Hulu wouldn’t be launching in the UK for the foreseeable future because it has been unable to gain any traction in the UK video-on demand market, which is becoming increasingly crowded.

The US ad-supported VOD platform, which is owned by News Corp, NBC Universal and The Walt Disney Company, was understood to be involved in talks with broadcasters, particularly ITV, but has failed to sign any content deals.

It’s understood Channel 4 and Five’s partnerships with SeeSaw and YouTube blocked the US platform from making further moves. ITV still refuses to sign content deals with aggregators, preferring to focus on driving traffic to its own site and player.

Hulu offers shows such as The Simpsons and The Office and documentary films such as Super Size Me, and has US distribution deals with Dailymotion, Yahoo and MSN.

Last month Hulu reported a surge in demand for the first show it has made available outside the US, If I Can Dream, which has built up a fanbase in more than 180 countries (nma.co.uk 30 March 2010).

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk