Hulu To Begin Charging Next Year

Since launching in mid-2008 Hulu has become a most popular online destination for watching TV shows and movies. Many networks have made the decision to partner with Hulu and offer their programs, while a handful of movie studios have made deals to have their films shown on the site. Hulu has remained free having been sustained through advertising and their media partnerships.

Earlier today however it was announced that Hulu will begin charging and likely in subscription form. The change will be made sometime in 2010.

Carey told reporters that a subscription system is likely, although some content will probably continue to be offered free of charge. “I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value,” he said.

The television networks will still offer many of their shows on their own websites for free so this decision really doesn’t affect me all that much as I’ll just go directly to them. I’ve never found the movie selection to be very good. With other options such as Netflix instant streaming do you see value in paying for a subscription to watch content on Hulu?