Hulu has a significant content problem. As a lot of TV networks are launching their own streaming services, Hulu find itself losing a lot of shows and movies. Let's explore why, and what impact this could have on Hulu.

What's Happening With Hulu?

In March 2022, Hulu's deal with EPIX expired, meaning Hulu is losing some of its content. Hundreds of films from the EPIX library were removed from Hulu, including titles from Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount.

Furthermore, EPIX also offers a video streaming service for about $6/month directly on its platform, as an add-on on other streaming services, or as a channel on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.

Also in March 2022, Hulu lost next-day streaming of NBC shows as the company wanted to shift exclusivity over its shows to its own streaming service, Peacock. Both the Walt Disney Company and NBCUniversal own Hulu, but that hasn't stopped NBC from pushing next-day streaming of its shows to Peacock.

According to the agreement the two companies reached in 2019, NBC can stream its content on Hulu and Peacock, with Hulu's licenses extended through 2024. The deal, however, also indicated that NBCUniversal has no obligation to keep its content on Hulu and could cancel most of its licensing agreements at any time. Which is exactly what it has now done.

CBS and CW have long removed their shows from Hulu, with CBS sending them to Paramount+ and CW favoring Netflix. Hulu is left with shows from ABC and Fox for the most part, although you'll still find older titles from other networks.

Why Is Hulu Losing So Much Content?

Hulu isn't to blame for all the content it's losing. Instead, the root of the problem is that traditional TV networks are creating their own streaming services.

A decade ago, they didn't have that many options, and so had to pick between Hulu and Netflix. But now, they're building out their own streaming services.

Paramount and CBS push content through Paramount+, NBC has Peacock, while HGTV, Discovery, History, Animal Planet, and others push content under Discovery+.

There's been an explosion of streaming services, as most content creators are trying to pull in as much revenue as possible. However, with so many options, people feel overwhelmed.

The large number of streaming services currently available is creating a market segmentation that is inconvenient for viewers as they find themselves having to subscribe to more and more services. Initially, the whole point of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu was having the convenience of cutting the cord and watching your favorite shows online without all the costs associated with cable TV.

What Are the Consequences of Hulu Losing Content?

Losing content is undoubtedly not something Hulu users enjoy happening, but the company is investing massively in content. While we don't know the exact numbers for Hulu in particular, we do know that, according to an earnings report from the Walt Disney Company, Disney spent about $25 billion on content, including for Hulu's shows. In 2021, Hulu premiered over 20 new titles.

Furthermore, despite Hulu's subscription price increase in 2021, its low price is still an attraction point for the service. Hulu with ads comes at a lower subscription price than Netflix's cheapest tier. If you want to go for the Disney bundle featuring Hulu (No Ads), Disney+, and ESPN+, you will pay the same as you would for Netflix's top-tier subscription.

With Disney in its corner, it's unlikely that Hulu will ever fail outright. There have also been discussions that Disney will expand Hulu internationally, which is bound to draw in more customers.

Hulu Is Losing TV Shows, But Its Live TV Offering Isn't

While Hulu may have lost access to lots of shows and movies, its Live TV platform continues to feature the likes of NBC, CBS, and CW, so you can catch the content live or have the service record them to Cloud DVR to watch later.