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YouTube will let creators co-host shopping livestreams
YouTube will soon allow creators to co-host live shopping streams across two channels, it announced at its annual Brandcast event.
Fox, 'Rick & Morty' creator plan a blockchain and NFT-enabled animated series
Dan Harmon's new animated series for Fox, 'Krapopolis' is the first one to be 'curated entirely on the blockchain.'
YouTube brings in big names like Ellen and Kevin Hart for new shows
During its big Brandcast presentation YouTube made a pitch to advertisers based on some well-known names, with new shows on the way from Kevin Hart, Ellen DeGeneres, Demi Lovato and Katy Perry. Interestingly, this year's slate of offerings is coming to YouTube for free, instead of the subscription Red package. YouTube's message is that "Prime Time has gone online," where it claims that more 18-49-year-olds visit YouTube than any TV network. It's an interesting angle, particularly considering that YouTube just launched its own live TV package earlier this year.
Hulu Live TV beta launches: $40 for 50+ channels and DVR
A year after announcing its plans, Hulu is finally ready to start streaming live TV with a beta that's opening up today. Hulu with Live TV is a $40 bundle combining 50+ channels and 50 hours of cloud DVR space with the company's existing streaming service, ready to take on incumbents like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now in the battle for cord-trimming customers. In "many markets" that includes the local broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) complete with live affiliate programming, but all customers can expect six individual profiles and up to two simultaneous streams at once. Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced the launch this morning during the company's annual Upfront presentation, mentioning that it will feature channels like ESPN, Fox Sports, FX, USA, Viceland, CNN, Fox News and more. Extra cost add-ons include boosting the cloud DVR with 200 hours of storage, or "unlimited screens" streaming that lets users watch video simultaneously on as many devices as they want at their home, as well as up to three devices anywhere else. Both features cost $15 per month on their own, or they can be had together for $20. Beyond that, no commercials on the Hulu library is still $4, while Showtime is a flat $9 add-on and other premium channels are "coming soon."
Hulu reportedly lands 'Seinfeld' streaming rights
According to a report by Variety, tomorrow Hulu will announce that it has won the bidding war for streaming rights to the Seinfeld series. The deal is said to be worth nearly $1 million per episode (a WSJ rumor puts the figure at about $700k per ep), adding up to some $180 million or so, enough to bring the complete series to a streaming service for the first time. According to the earlier rumors Amazon and Yahoo were also in the running for the series, although streaming giant Netflix had dropped out, apparently deciding to focus on original shows and its deal for the Friends series. The deal should be announced tomorrow during Hulu's "Upfront" presentation -- we'll be watching for more info on its Cablevision deal -- for advertisers and the media, scheduled to start at 8:30AM.
