Criterion Capital Partners is announcing Wednesday that it has bought SeeSaw.com, a site that aspired to become U.K.’s Hulu but was close to being shut down just six weeks ago. SeeSaw’s past is troubled, but Criterion is nonetheless willing to make a bet on its future. Read more »
Hulu has once again rolled out its Facebook Connect capability, enabling users to easily share what they’re viewing on the online video site with their friends on Facebook. But after the botched initial launch, will users be willing to merge their accounts? Read more »
Microsoft could be rolling out a new subscription video service later this year, pitting it against services like Netflix and Hulu Plus, as Microsoft seeks to grab more revenues from Xbox subscribers. But it will need to be available on other devices, too. Read more »
Hulu has made its first pitch to a number of prospective buyers, but Netflix didn’t come to the party: The popular subscription service apparently has no interest in buying its catch-up TV competitor. However, there are plenty of other well-known suitors still in the game. Read more »
The search for a Hulu buyer continues, as it’s being pitched to a wide range of media and technology companies. While much of the press has been focused on the possibility of a tech giant buying Hulu, an acquisition by Verizon might be its best bet. Read more »
Hulu CEO Jason Kilar gave an update on the company’s progress as it enters the second half of the year. One key takeaway: The company is well ahead of its target of reaching one million paying Hulu Plus subscribers by the end of the year. Read more »
The acclaimed British series Misfits couldn’t find a home on American networks. But that didn’t stop Hulu, which will be airing not just the first two seasons of the cult hit this summer, but the third season this fall when it premieres on British television. Read more »
Hulu’s Facebook Connect integration apparently isn’t going as well as planned. The feature has been pulled offline after people reported having issues with the sign-in process earlier today, with some being exposed to other users’ account data in the process. Read more »
Hulu is getting a lot more social with new features based on Facebook Connect. Users will now be able to log into the service with their Facebook account, comment on specific moments in a show they are watching, interact with friends and discover new content. Read more »
There has been an explosion of content over the past five years — a trend that shows no signs of abating. In the land of a million channels, the filter will be king. Value will accrue to those that aggregate and filter programming. Read more »
A new study from Yahoo shows that online video viewing is increasingly happening during primetime viewing hours. Not just that, but more of that video is full-length TV and movie content. So what’s that mean for traditional broadcasters, as more viewers spend more time with online content? Read more »
Hulu has been a great service for viewers, offering the ability to catch up on shows the day after they’ve aired online. But based on reports of deals it’s negotiating with broadcasters, Hulu might make users prove they’re cable subscribers to do so in the future. Read more »
Hulu Plus subscribers with Google Android phones can now watch their favorite movies and television shows on the go. The bad news: Only six handsets support the software for now. The good news: If your phone is supported, the Hulu Plus app offers a great experience. Read more »
Hulu’s board of directors has hired investment banks to begin exploring a sale of the online video startup. But will any buyer get what it’s bargained for? Questions about future content deals and the ability to hold the attention of viewers could spoil Hulu’s future. Read more »
Hulu has reportedly been approach by a company that wants to buy the video site, and is now evaluating its options. Little is known about the potential buyer, other than some people saying it isn’t Google. Which is why we’re asking: Who wants Hulu? Read more »
Hulu topped all other ad networks for online video ads served, with 1.3 billion ad impressions during the month of May, according to comScore. That’s more than a quarter of the 4.6 billion ads that were served up by online video properties during the month. Read more »
Disabilities rights advocates sued CNN this week in an attempt to force the network to caption all of its online videos. The lawsuit brings closed captions back into the spotlight and could, if successful, have implications on pretty much any site offering online video in California. Read more »
Squrl lets users save videos and watch them later across a number of tablet devices. The app, available now for the iPad, Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, provides a way for users to bookmark and organize videos from multiple video sites and applications. Read more »
Back in February, Apple announced its in-app subscription API, and it provided an ultimatum that would force developers that sell content for use within their apps to also do so via in-app purchase, or face expulsion. Kindle seemed on the chopping block, but now Apple has relented. Read more »
Hulu charges its users $8 per month to watch videos on the PS3. Bay Area–based ORB Networks is starting to ship a Blu-ray disc this week that makes it possible to watch Hulu content on the PS3 for free. Check out our video review. Read more »
British TV on demand site SeeSaw was meant to be a transatlantic rival to Hulu — but after launching last year, it has pulled the plug. The reasons? Political turmoil and competitive pressure that was exploited by rivals like Rupert Murdoch. Read more »
Fans of Amelie, Pulp Fiction and Clerks can soon watch these titles on Hulu Plus, thanks to a new licensing agreement between Miramax and Hulu. And there is good news for freeloaders as well: About 15 Miramax titles will be available ad-supported on Hulu.com. Read more »
U.K.-based online video aggregator SeeSaw announced it’s shutting down, just 16 months after being launched to bring together video assets from Channel 4 and ITV. The shutdown happened after it failed to click with viewers or effectively compete with services from its content partners. Read more »
Kiefer Sutherland’s ambitious original web series The Confession, which was deficit-financed and launched exclusively on Hulu, is already profitable. And with international distribution, as well as a DVD release ahead, it looks like there’s plenty of money left to be made. Read more »
It looks like TiVo is finally adding Hulu Plus to the list of online video services available through its DVRs. And based on promotional materials spotted in some Best Buy stores, TiVo is offering up six free months of the Hulu Plus service to new customers. Read more »
Blip.tv has launched a redesigned site, seeking to become the destination for independent web series. While others host a mix of professional, semi-pro and UGC content, with the redesign Blip.tv is focusing solely on bringing out only the best series content made strictly for the web. Read more »
Sony has brought back its PlayStation Network after a month-long outage, which means that PS3 users will also be able to once again access Netflix and Hulu Plus on their game console. However, Netflix isn’t planing to give users any credit for the outage time. Read more »
Hulu might be close to signing new rights agreements with its content partners, according to AllThingsD. But things have changed since its launch. How will that affect what Hulu’s business looks like after the next set of deals are done? Here are our predictions. Read more »
Hulu Plus is drastically expanding availability, now opening up to millions of Xbox game console owners. Thanks to its rollout on Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform and access to its install base, Hulu Plus could see a big boost in adoption. Read more »
Want to watch videos from Netflix or Hulu Plus on your PS3? Well, you’re out of luck: Sony has taken the PlayStation Network offline after suffering a serious security breach last week, and both online video services are closely tied to the game console’s network. Read more »
Vevo has launched into its first international market, announcing Monday that it has expanded availability to U.K. viewers. For online video sites like Hulu, that jump has been seemingly impossible. So how did Vevo do it? By having all the rights it needed from the get-go. Read more »
After a year in which over-the-top video services grabbed most of the media’s attention, some of the online video headlines shifted back to traditional pay-TV providers in the first quarter of 2011. Device manufacturers rolled out new offerings, while cable-TV providers moved to expand their in-home footprint beyond the TV itself. But over-the-top continued to encroach, with Roku adding its first linear channels to the Roku store and Netflix acquiring exclusive rights to high-profile original series House of Cards. Finally, traditional web powers like Google, Yahoo and Apple made moves to reassert their presence in the living room after their early stumbles. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Comcast, Cablevision, Viacom and VUDU. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Cord cutters or those who want to watch American Idol in real-time or some of their home sporting events on their connected devices will soon have a new option thanks to Bamboom, a startup that said it raised $4.5 million today in seed capital. Read more »
It has been a long time coming, but now subscribers in the U.S. can sign up for a 100 Mbps broadband connection. Comcast, the largest cable (and broadband) company announced Thursday that it’s launching Extreme 105 across its entire footprint, which covers 40 million homes. Read more »
Netflix has become the new scapegoat for Internet Service Providers eager to cap, tier or otherwise make broadband more expensive for their customers in the guise of chastising bandwidth hogs. Data out from startup Mu Dynamics drives the streaming site’s pariah status home. Read more »
For all its growth, the e-book market has been stillborn in one major way: methods in which to monetize. But recent news that a Spanish company called 24Symbols went into beta on a an e-book service shows that digital publishing could finally be evolving. Read more »
Hulu’s CEO Jason Kilar reiterated that the video service is expected to double its revenue in 2011 and is expected to hit 1 million paid subscribers. The figures point to the larger effect that Netflix and Hulu are having on consumer behavior and also hardware sales. Read more »
New research from Convergence Consulting Group suggests that the number of viewers who choose to go without pay TV subscriptions, relying on broadband video services instead, will continue to grow in 2011, but at a slower pace that than the market saw last year. Read more »
Whether you love it or hate it, April Fools’ Day seems to be more popular in the technology world than almost any other unofficial holiday. In this post, we’ve collected some of our favorite pranks, tricks and bogus news stories from today for your amusement. Read more »
Are online video interstitials the new bathroom break? Are people multitasking to escape online video advertising? Are music videos being watched, or just being listened to? We know there are billions of video ads streamed online every month- but is anyone actually watching any of them? Read more »
