Hulu's Live TV Now Includes 14 ViacomCBS Channels
Sam primarily covers entertainment and media for dot.LA. Previously he was Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist, where he wrote for the business and finance sections of the print edition. He has also worked at the XPRIZE Foundation, U.S. Government Accountability Office, KCRW, and MLB Advanced Media (now Disney Streaming Services). He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, an MPP from UCLA Luskin and a BA in History from University of Michigan. Email him at samblake@dot.LA and find him on Twitter @hisamblake
Starting today, Friday, April 30, 14 new channels from ViacomCBS are available on Disney's Hulu Plus Live TV. The move consummates a deal struck earlier this year between the two companies.
The new channels available on Hulu Plus Live TV include Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., VH1, MTV and TV Land. Subscribers will also now receive on-demand access to new titles including "Freaks & Geeks," "Moesha" and "Sister Sister."
The move clearly displays ViacomCBS' strategy of balancing its legacy content business with the new dynamics of the streaming era.
It is a tension faced by many media companies that did big business in the pre-streaming era but have been forced to adapt as consumers have grown accustomed to on-demand viewing.
As the industry has evolved, three primary strategies have emerged: On one end of the spectrum is that pursued by exclusive platforms, including Netflix and Disney Plus, which offer content that cannot be seen elsewhere. On the other end, companies like Sony have found success operating as "arms dealers," supplying content to third-party platforms while refraining from creating their own streaming service.
ViacomCBS is pursuing a hybrid approach; it has its own streaming platform but also provides content to its competitors.
When the company unveiled Paramount Plus earlier this year, Chairman Shari Redstone laid out the blueprint.
"We're not about only linear or only streaming; we're about both linear and streaming," she said. "The industry is transitioning, but for consumers it's happening at different paces and in different places."
Hulu Plus Live TV will remain $64.99 per month. The package includes the core Hulu on-demand service, which goes for $5.99/month on its own, plus over 65 live TV channels.
- Paramount Plus' Cautious Approach to Streaming - dot.LA ›
- Orby TV's Offers Back-to-Basics Television with a Twist - dot.LA ›
- Hulu's Live TV Adds 14 More Channels, Discovery Plus Debuts - dot ... ›
- Youtube and Hulu face off for most popular Live TV Service - dot.LA ›
- Hulu’s Political Ad Snafu Puts Streamers On Notice - dot.LA ›
Sam primarily covers entertainment and media for dot.LA. Previously he was Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist, where he wrote for the business and finance sections of the print edition. He has also worked at the XPRIZE Foundation, U.S. Government Accountability Office, KCRW, and MLB Advanced Media (now Disney Streaming Services). He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, an MPP from UCLA Luskin and a BA in History from University of Michigan. Email him at samblake@dot.LA and find him on Twitter @hisamblake
Image Source: Waymo
Image Source: Snap
Image Source: Dodgers 
Image Source: ChatGPT