Hulu is finally considering an option to get rid of ads, but it means that you will have to pay more for something they should have already done. According to a report, the ad-free version of Hulu’s premium service will cost even more than the $7.99/month users already pay.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s sources, the ad-free version of Hulu would cast $12-$14 a month. The project is currently codenamed “NOAH,” or “No Adds Hulu.”
Even if you pay for Hulu’s $7.99/month premium service, you still have to sit through a couple of ads during shows, although there are sometimes random options to watch one long ad before a show. But Netflix doesn’t have commercials and you don’t need a special subscription for that. Amazon Prime Instant Video also doesn’t have ads between shows.
Hulu is owned by 21st Century Fox, the Walt Disney Company and Comcast. In June, they announced that Showtime shows will be added, although this will be yet another tier. Users who add Showtime will be paying $17 a month.
The streaming service has also been aggressive in adding original content, like a new season of The Mindy Project, The Way and James Franco’s 111/22/63. Hulu is also the exclusive streaming home of Seinfeld.
Despite these pushes, Hulu is still far behind Netflix. Hulu has just 9 million subscribers, while Netflix said this week that it is up to 65 million around the world.
The WSJ didn’t say when we should expect this new ad-free option.
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