Hulu, the new home for The Mindy Project, is doing its best to keep up with Netflix, but it might be going in the wrong direction in that race. The streaming service, which still has commercials, is sticking to posting new shows weekly instead of posting whole seasons at once.
During the service’s panel at the Television Critics Association press tour this weekend, Hulu content chief Craig Erwich explained that he likes traditional television’s weekly format because it keeps television as a “water-cooler” discussion topic.
“We want to give viewers the opportunity to discover their shows every week,” Erwich said, reports Deadline. “We value the shared experience and the joy of the water-cooler that is television.”
He also insisted that this allows viewers to get content faster because Hulu won’t have to wait until a full season has completed production before posting episodes.
Liz Tigelaar, whose Casual rom-com is exclusive to Hulu, said she agrees with Erwich. She compared binge watching to binge eating.
“It's almost like over-eating,” Tigelaar said, reports The Hollywood Reporter. “I think there's something great about really being able to digest something.”
Hulu subscribers can still chose to binge, of course. Episodes don’t expire, so you can just wait until the end of a season and start watching it in one go.
Hulu subscribers pay $7.99/month and do have to sit through commercials. However, it was rumored last month that the service plans on launching an ad-free option that would cost $12-$14 a month.