Hulu had their Upfront Presentation at the Madison Square Garden Theater last May 4, 2016. It was a rainy day last Wednesday but the prospect of seeing "Broad City" stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jackson was enough to get people to go. That, and the some interesting news from the streaming service, is sure to make an impact on the way folks view Hulu as a premiere streaming service.
To start, Hulu will boast a reach of 12 million viewers in the US by the end of the month, posting 30% growth year after year, the Hulu homepage reported. In addition to that, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins said, "Over the past year, we've propelled Hulu by adding an extraordinary array of original series, hit broadcast and cable shows and blockbuster movies to our content portfolio-all of which has led to incredible growth in subscribers and engagement."
A specific example of Hulu's big plans is its highly anticipated release of a Beatles documentary. Hulu was able to secure exclusive rights to the Academy Award-winning documentary "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week," the working title of the documentary by Ron Howard. Included in the documentary are rare footage featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.
The documentary will hit theaters and Hulu this coming Fall. It will follow the Beatles during the early parts of their career from 1962 - 1966. Everything from how the members made decisions to creating music to building their career will be featured.
Hulu will also make changes to appeal to advertisers more. "Hulu offers brands the most effective way to reach the streaming audience, at scale, in the living room," Hulu SVP of Advertising Sales Peter Naylor said.
In addition to that, Hulu will also start providing new measurement tools for advertisers via a partnership with Nielsen and Millward Brown.
As Mashable said, "In a crowded marketplace, Hulu has often been seen as the also option when compared to competitors Netflix, Amazon and HBO. That perception is about to change, because Hulu has now officially positioned itself as the future of online TV."
Is it possible that Hulu will open its doors to more potential employees in the future? If its growth is sustained and its experiments prove successful, then yes. The mere fact that so many of their shows are getting more seasons is already an indicator of a strong position in the market. Directors, actors, writers, the whole crew, are all set to be part of a growing and stronger Hulu family.
