Hulu is already big, but it’s due to get even bigger over the next few years. Company CEO Jason Kilar spelled out the present statistics recently, as well as talking about advertising options and the new content suggestion feature.
Hulu On The Up
defied the cynics and survived past its first year. But it did much more than just survive, instead becoming one of the most popular online video services in the U.S., the most popular in terms of delivering on-demand, catch-up television.
Hulu has succeeded not only by enticing viewers in, but also by keeping on the good side of the networks and cable companies; a task obviously made easier by the fact that it’s run by three of the networks themselves.
However, this strategy seems to be working, with viewer numbers up and profits climbing.
Hulu Statistics, Profit Forecast
During the NewTeeVee conference in San Francisco last week, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar displayed a slide clearly showing how the company has grown since it launched three years ago.
At the end of October, Hulu boasted:
- 30 million monthly users
- 260 million content streams
- 800 million ad streams
- 352 ad partners
- $240 million in revenue in 2010 (estimated)
The last statistic is especially interesting. The $240 million in revenue compares to $25 million in 2008 and $108 million in 2009. So Hulu is ramping up its profitability credentials. Hulu Plus must surely be helping.
Adverts, Content Suggestions
Kilar also spoke about advertising and his belief that Hulu is actually serving its viewers better than broadcast television in this regard. His argument is that an interactive platform provides viewers with more chances to offer feedback, and that feedback can then be used to tailor ads in the future. There are also other alternatives, such as watching a full-length movie trailer, or completing a short survey.
The other interesting subject Kilar covered was that of content suggestion. Hulu is currently testing out a feature where at the end of a show the viewer will be directed to a similar show – it works very much like the ‘People who bought this, also bought…’ on Amazon. And people are responding, with a 10 percent click-through rate so far.
