Hulu and A+E Networks have inked a deal to add an A+E suite of channels to its live streaming product. The deal adds live and on-demand streaming access to A&E, History, Lifetime, LMN, FYI, and Viceland to Hulu’s core package of more than 40 live channels, which is set to launch this spring.
“As we begin to finalize our new live TV service, we’re pulling together the most valuable, well-rounded package of channels available for under $40,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO of Hulu. “We know the A+E Networks brand of award-winning storytelling is important to our viewers, and we’re very excited to add their networks to the core service we launch this spring.”
Currently, Hulu has signed distribution deals with 21st Century Fox, CBS Corp., The Walt Disney Company, and Turner, and will include broadcast networks ABC, Fox, and CBS at launch. (Negotiations with NBC Universal are ongoing, sources say.) A+E Networks, it should be noted, is a joint venture between Disney and Hearst; incidentally, Viceland is a joint venture between A+E Networks and Vice Media, which itself counts Disney and 21st Century Fox among its stakeholders, at 18% and 5%, respectively.
Hulu’s product, still currently unnamed, will join an increasingly crowded field of over-the-top TV packages. Dish Network’s Sling TV offers basic live streaming packages starting at $20 per month that include networks like ESPN and FX, but only two broadcast channels (NBC and Fox). AT&T’s DirecTV Now, with over 120 channels, was introduced at $35 but is now $60. Sony’s PlayStation Vue packages start at $40 and work their way up to $75. And then there are all the single-serve streaming on-demand services: Netflix, HBO Now, Showtime, Amazon Prime Video.
