Hulu Entices Bidders With Access to TV Shows

Video-streaming service Hulu, which is currently in the process of wooing potential bidders, is sweetening the deal: The site is planning to offer suitors five years of access to shows from its media company owners (Fox, Disney, and NBCU), including two years of exclusivity, Bloomberg reports.

According to the agreement, TV networks would still be allowed to post shows to their own sites during the exclusivity period, and there would also be exceptions for on-demand services offered by pay-TV networks.

Details of the rights and other financial data will be given to bidders who sign a nondisclosure agreement. Amazon and Microsoft, both in the running as buyers, are unlikely to bid without guaranteed access to the owners’ shows, sources said.

So far, Hulu’s bankers Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim Partners have met with 10 to 12 potential buyers, sources said. Those include the aforementioned Amazon and Microsoft, as well as Google, Yahoo, and AT&T.