Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon are competing for practically everything regarding streaming rights these days. Whether it’s a new show or rights to an old one, the three streaming service giants fight over everything.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hulu reigns supreme this week after acquiring the rights to NBC’s highly praised drama ‘This Is Us.’
Hulu doesn’t now solely air the show, leaving NBC in the dust. Instead, Hulu reportedly outbid Netflix and Amazon by a large margin for a massive per-episode fee to air the family drama. The exact fee hasn’t been disclosed yet.
The terms of the deal give NBC and Hulu co-exclusive rights to stream the show starring Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia. It received three Golden Glove nominations this year: Best TV Series Drama and two for Best Supporting Actress for Series/Miniseries/TV Film (Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore).
Both Hulu subscribers and NBC viewers can use their multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) to view episodes on the various applications and websites that Hulu and NBC stream through. The deal includes the rights to all current and past seasons, making Hulu the only streaming service outside of NBC with rights to the show.
This type of deal is unique for many reasons according to THR:
Typically, only the network gets current season stacking and the SVOD home gets the library. This pact will see NBC retain both library and current episodes for its digital platforms. Meaning both NBC and Hulu will have every episode of the series available online, making it easier for viewers to find the series on nonlinear platforms.
NBC Universal, Fox Entertainment, and ABC Universal all own 30% of Hulu, while Turner Broadcasting System owns the final 10%. Here’s what a trio of major FOX and NBC execs said about the deal:
”Dan Fogelman’s This Is Us is an extraordinary series that grew in viewership throughout its acclaimed first season, and we think it has the potential to expand its audience even further,” said Fox Television Group chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “This groundbreaking deal offers unprecedented access to consumers on multiple platforms, from Hulu to the apps of our network partner NBC, creating opportunity for viewers to find, catch up and experience again every incredible episode. It’s an exciting deal which is a ‘win’ for all our companies but for fans of this fantastic television show most of all.”“It was important to NBC that This Is Us be accessible to as many rabid fans as possible as it continues to grow,” said NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt. “We’re extremely pleased that this combination of platforms — Hulu and the apps of both NBC and (authenticated) on-demand providers — makes all episodes available in a way that hasn’t been done before. This deal sets a new precedent, and we’re thrilled that our partners at Fox and Hulu had the same goals in mind.
NBC and Hulu have reportedly been working towards this deal for weeks. It was announced at Hulu’s NewFronts presentation Wednesday when the service also announced it secured SVOD rights to FX’s ‘Atlanta’ and renewed the hit series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.
