Hulu and AT&T have agreed on a deal that will bring the streaming service to the telecom company's subscribers via apps for mobile and the web later this year. The deal could also expand to an app for TV.
The deal will integrate Hulu's streaming service into an app that will serve up other content from AT&T partners. Previously, a limited amount of Hulu's content was offered via an AT&T web portal.
AT&T customers want more content on more devices, said Andrew Goodman, AT&T's associate vice president of content acquisition.
"So we're excited to be able to expand our relationship with Hulu and make its innovative and vast video selections available to AT&T customers on multiple screens," Goodman said.
Through the agreement, Hulu will deliver both clips and long-form content to AT&T customers. There will be links accompanying the content which will direct viewers to Hulu's portal and ask them to sign up for the streaming service's premium offering, Hulu Plus.
This deepens AT&T's relationship with the streaming service and ultimately drives more traffic to Hulu.
"At Hulu, we strive to create the best possible video experience for customers - offering them the ability to view their favorite content, when, where and how they want," said Tim Connolly, Hulu's senior vice president of partnerships and distribution. "We are excited to be working with AT&T to connect its customers with our premium content on every screen."
While Hulu gets the chance to reel in more customers through the deal, AT&T gets another element to help it attract more subscribers and retain the millions it already has.
Rival Verizon just announced its intent to acquire AOL for $4.4 billion in a deal that will bring the US' number wireless carrier much more content and advertising channels.
"Verizon's vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform. This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators, and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience," Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said.
The Hulu deal compliments AT&T's venture with The Chernin Group on Otter Media, an initiative to acquire and launch more over-the-top video services.
The deal with the Chernin Group has already resulted in the purchase of a majority stake in global media network Fullscreen, a company that collaborated with over 50,000 content creators with a combined reach of about 450 million subscribers.
