Disney Does the Hulu

By  |  Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 8:17 am

Disney HuluHulu was already by far the most ambitious and interesting purveyor of free video from traditional sources on the Web. Today, it’s taking a great big step towards solidifying its lead: The Walt Disney Company is joining NBC and Fox as a partner in the venture, getting an ownership stake and providing content it owns.

The deal will bring shows such as Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Scrubs, and Jimmy Kimmel Live to Hulu, along with old episodes of Dancing With the Stars and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, plus stuff from other Disney outfits like the ABC Family Channel and SOAPNEt. Movies from the Disney library will also be available.

Me, I’m most interested in the one type of content that first leaps to mind when you think of the word “Disney.” That would be classic animation in short-subject and feature-length form. Oddly enough, that’s just about the only thing that isn’t mentioned specifically in the announcement. Mickey, Minnie, Dumbo, and Bambi, where are you?

 
4 Comments


Read more: , ,

3 Comments For This Post

  1. Cathy Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 8:24 am

    In the vault, waiting for a re-release, where else?

  2. Simon Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 10:03 am

    This looks like a bit of a tipping point. Well done, Hulu.
    Really not sure why it makes sense for Disney though.

  3. JDoors Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    I hope they don’t have the negative impact on Hulu’s content that they have on ABC’s broadcast content (endless self-promotion).

    I don’t see them EVER letting you see their classic cartoons for free (ads or no).

1 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. ABC Does Hulu, I’m Still Passing. | Technologizer Says:
    July 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    […] See all:&nbspNews ABC is now officially a Hulu partner, as the network began adding its content to the service. Its hit show Grey’s Anatomy would be the first to be added to the YouTube rival with five episodes. The addition should be no surprise — the two sides announced a deal back in April as we reported here. […]