Hulu and Epix have announced a new agreement that will bring much-needed, high-profile movie titles to the streaming platform, in a deal that comes only after Netflix decided not to renew their expiring contract with the channel.
Owned by NBC Universal Television, Fox Broadcasting, and Disney-ABC, Hulu’s focus (and best content) has been current and past TV series. The service provides subscribers with unlimited access (via apps or internet browsers) to recently airing television shows such as Modern Family, Ray Donovan, and Masters of Sex.
Entire past seasons of hit shows are also available, including all 171 episodes of Seinfeld and other popular series like Regular Show and Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
But what Hulu has been lacking are blockbuster movie titles.
Hulu already has movies, but the titles are not exactly what you would call “trending.” The platform’s homepage showcases movie titles such as David Lynch’s Eraserhead and Roberto Rossellini’s Stromboli — both classic films, but not exactly fodder aimed at a mainstream audience that’ll be looking for the next ‘Hunger Games’ film when it gets picked up for home distribution.
The Epix deal will help fill the gap that separates Hulu with Netflix. With popular films such as Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 currently playing on Epix, Hulu will enjoy bragging rights for some of the top grossing titles out there.
In addition to securing Epix, Hulu also started offering the over-the-top SHOWTIME service, where Hulu Plus subscribers actually get a $2 break off the network’s regular monthly subscription rate of $10.99.
