In this day and age of cancel culture, could Hulu be next?
After the streamer opted against airing political ads from Democrats on topics like abortion and gun control, calls to boycott Hulu and cancel existing subscriptions have grown on social media.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Governors Association attempted to buy joint ads focusing on abortion and guns with Hulu on July 15, with identical placements on an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia and Disney’s cable sports channel ESPN, according to The Washington Post.
While the others ran, the Hulu advertisements never did, being rejected for “content-related” issues, the news outlet reports.
In a joint statement on Hulu’s rejection on Monday, the three Democratic organizations said, “Hulu’s censorship of the truth is outrageous, offensive and another step down a dangerous path for our country.”
Hulu didn’t immediately respond to Lost Remote’s request for comment.
Suraj Patel, a Democratic candidate for congress in New York, said earlier this month that Hulu had engaged in censorship when a representative from the streamer demanded that his campaign erase references to abortion, climate change and gun control before an advertisement could air on the service. Hulu has rejected several additional pro-abortion rights campaign advertisements, but the company hasn’t specified why.
Political buyers have found it more difficult to bargain with streaming platforms. Disney has informed advertisers that when Disney+ introduces an ad-supported version later this year, political and alcohol advertisements will not be permitted. Last month, Netflix revealed that it is working with Microsoft to create an ad-supported version, though it has not yet clarified its advertising practices.