Here’s a deal that would reshape the online streaming business and set Netflix on its heels: Apple is “considering making a bid” for Hulu, Bloomberg reports today citing two people “with knowledge of the auction.” The story says that Steve Jobs’ company is “in early talks that may lead to an offer” which could come to more than $2B. But what’s just as interesting is that Disney, News Corp, and Comcast’s NBCUniversal are said to be telling all bidders that they’re prepared to continue providing programming to Hulu for five years — including two with exclusivity. Companies looking at Hulu have said that it would be hard to put a price tag on it without guaranteed programming. Now several are at least kicking the tires for the auction being run for Hulu by bankers Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners. Yahoo is known to be interested. CEO Carol Bartz wouldn’t comment on Hulu when asked about it in a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are also looking closely — although Bloomberg says that Microsoft’s interest is waning.
Report: Apple May Bid For Hulu With 2-Year Exclusive TV Rights
By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Friday July 22, 2011 @ 7:15am EDTTags: Apple, Carol Bartz Yahoo, Disney, Google, Hulu, Hulu TV, microsoft, NBC Universal, Netflix, Netflix Online Streaming, News Corp
This article was printed from http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/report-apple-may-bid-for-hulu-with-2-year-exclusive-tv-rights/
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Cool! So when Apple buys it, we’ll still get CRAPPY ANNOYING commercials ? Of course the content (should we call it content) that’s getting pumped out is PRICELESS !
ISTR Fox and NBC established HULU in an attempt to thwart Apple’s growing iTunes hegemony. NBC pulled their shows from iTunes (while Fox hedged their bets and support both services.) An Apple purchase of Hulu would establish Apple as the dominant player vs. Netflix, Amazon, et. al.
An interesting development.
Steve Jobs vs. Carol Bartz?
Even if all of Jobs’ internal organs were removed and stored in canopic jars and Steve were just skin and bones like early scenes of Arnold Vosloo in THE MUMMY, I bet Steve will reduce Carol to ashes without even getting his black turtleneck dusty.
aapl should have bought nflx already…. but aapl has lots of cash and nflx stock price being hammered, so maybe there’s still an opportunity. problem with hulu getting sold at all is that little thing about a 5-year commitment to providing programming. Oh yeah, Fox, ABC, NBC — they’ll do that. In the end, Hulu’s not going anywhere until the partners unwind and kill it in favor of their own websites and third-party licenses.
just refocused on the 2-year deal aapl’s willing to take. Now THAT the hulu partners might do. but, really, they should just monetize its funeral.