Hulu is pulling support from more Android TV set-top boxes.
Back in August, the app on the streaming service stopped working on AT&T's Android TV box. Now it isn't compatible with the Channel Master Stream+ and Sling TV's AirTV Player as well.
Hulu Supported Devices Dwindle
As reported by Cord Cutters News, owners of the AirTV Player and Channel Master Stream+ can't access Hulu through the official app anymore. It did test the new AirTV Mini and found that it could still access the Hulu app, but it might lose support soon as well, given the circumstances.
Hulu didn't provide an explanation why it's pulling its app from these devices, which brings the total to three at the moment.
On a related note, Hulu also silently dropped support for Google's Daydream VR. In other words, this is far from the first time that the company did something like this.
Avoiding Competition?
It's unclear why Hulu is making these changes, but the consensus is it's blocking devices that are in direct competition of its Live TV.
Case in point, the AirTV Player is made for Sling TV, a live TV service similar to Hulu's offering. It's arguably the company's biggest rival in the game. On top of that, AT&T's Android TV-powered set-top box is also designed for the carrier's live TV streaming.
Meanwhile, the Channel Master Stream+ is an OTA DVR that's considered to be positioned against Hulu as well, since the company does stream locals in plenty of areas, as Cord Cutters News points out.
Now Hulu only stopped supporting these devices when it brought Live TV to the Android TV platform, and that raises suspicions. To put two and two together, it seems that it doesn't want its streaming service to be available in other products that are competing with its offering.
In the end, it's Hulu subscribers who are getting the short end of the stick here.
