Business Insider: Low Bids Could Doom Hulu Auction

COMMENTS (8)

• Why would anyone buy Hulu (with its small catalog and only 1 million subs) for $2 billion (or $4 billion) if you can get Netflix (with 25 million subs) for only $6 billion???
  Is google retarded?

  Comment by Reed — Friday September 30, 2011 @ 7:42pm EDT  Reply to this post

  • A lot of the attractiveness that Hulu has is the streaming technology. Dish Network is bidding for it because it wants the technology to empower its Blockbuster streaming service.

    And then of course any Hulu deal would have to include temporary exclusive content from Fox, Disney-ABC, and NBCUniversal making it the best service to go to for current television content. Shows like Parks and Recreation, Family Guy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Glee, etc. would make a streaming service pretty attractive under the right hands.

    Comment by Jesse — Friday September 30, 2011 @ 9:37pm EDT  Reply to this post

• i may sound stupid for asking this, but why doesnt netflix throw its hat in there? or even amazon for that matter. or maybe this would pump some life into blockbuster. either way, these streaming/rental companies would be buying their competition instead of letting someone like Dish take it.

  Comment by nick — Friday September 30, 2011 @ 8:38pm EDT  Reply to this post

  • they may all be in the digital distribution game, but they have markedly different business models.

    not to mention that netflix even come close to having the cash (or the capacity to raise that kind of debt)

    Comment by tyler — Friday September 30, 2011 @ 9:26pm EDT  Reply to this post

  • Netflix has a lot of problems right now, particularly with a sharply dropping stock price and PR problems concerning pissed off consumers. They cannot devote the time, effort, and capital right now to go into acquisitions.

    Amazon did bid for Hulu, they were beat by offers from Google and Dish Network.

    Comment by Jesse — Friday September 30, 2011 @ 9:40pm EDT  Reply to this post

  • because public filings show that as of the last quarter, Netflix has $376 million on its balance sheet, far from the $2-4 billion necessary.

    And Google has $39.1 billion. Ouch.

    Comment by no $ — Sunday October 2, 2011 @ 1:26pm EDT  Reply to this post

• That’s nonsense. There’s nothing magical about Hulus streaming technology. All industry standard stuff.

  Comment by Majol — Sunday October 2, 2011 @ 3:52pm EDT  Reply to this post

  • Spot on. But tell that to the dunces in H’wood who don’t get tech.

    Comment by Reed — Monday October 3, 2011 @ 1:13pm EDT  Reply to this post