Streaming customers will have one more option come next year when Hulu introduces a new “skinny” OTT subscription, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sources close to the deal report that Walt Disney and 21st Century Fox, who are co-owners of the streaming site, are in the process of licensing their channels now for live-streaming of broadcasts.
That’s a huge move for the service, which right now simply offers on-demand programming. But they aren’t looking to offer all of the channels that are included in a traditional cable bundle. NBCUniversal, who is silent partner in Hulu, hasn’t made any plans to license its channels, which means subscribers would have access to ABC, ESPN and Disney Channel, from Disney, and Fox, FX, and Fox News from 21st Century Fox. That sounds a lot like Sling, to be honest.
As of right now, there’s no pricing set for the subscription, but it’s expected to be somewhere around $30 a month, competitive with Playstation Vue bundles which cost $40. Without add-ons, Sling’s basic Best of Live TV package costs $20 per month.
If Comcast and NBC Universal come around, it could be a solid game-changer, but as it stands, it’s more of the same for cord-cutters.