After weeks of speculation, Hulu has finally announced a commercial-free subscription level, which will be a few dollars more than the current subscription service. This will help Hulu be more competitive with Netflix, although it will be more pricey than its rival.
Back in July, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Hulu was working on an ad-free option, which would cost $12-$14 per month. Thankfully, Hulu is going with the lower end of that range, as the service will cost $11.99 per month.
Hulu, which is owned by Disney, Fox and Comcast, said that current subscribers will get to pay $4 a month extra for the ad-free service. Currently, Hulu costs $7.99 per month and includes limited commercial breaks.
“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins said in a statement. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”
The announcement comes just two days after Hulu signed a deal with Epix following Netflix’s decision to let its Epix deal expire. That means that Hulu will have movies like The Hunger Games and Transformers.
Hulu is also working on expanding its original programming, with 11/22/63 coming soon and the Amy Poehler-produced comedy Difficult People, which already got a second season. The fourth season of The Mindy Project will also be a Hulu exclusive. Hulu also made a big deal about being the exclusive streaming home of Seinfeld.
Hulu says it currently has 9 million paid subscribers.
screenshot from YouTube video