Hulu will broadcast its first original scripted series next month, a political comedy that will debut during the real-life Republican presidential primary.
The online video service is ramping up its rivalry with Netflix Inc.
Aimed squarely at an audience loyal to cutting edge comedy such as “The Office” and “The Colbert Report,” Hulu’s new show “Battleground” is a look at the inner workings of a Democratic primary campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin. It was created by J.D. Walsh, an actor who worked for John Kerry during a political campaign.
“We see what J.D. sees in it and we know the audience is there,” said Hulu’s senior vice president of content, Andy Forsell.
Hulu’s foray into original scripted programming follows an investment in the Morgan Spurlock documentary series, “A Day in the Life,” which debuted in August and will soon launch into a second season.
Hulu made the announcement Sunday at the Television Critics’ Association’s winter press tour, a two-week-long series of presentations for TV journalists usually reserved for traditional TV networks.
Hulu also announced it would make “Up to Speed,” a non-scripted series that looks at historic nooks and crannies of notable destinations around America.
The shows will be available on both the free and paid versions of Hulu.
The programming announcement follows a blog post by Hulu CEO Jason Kilar that said Hulu now has 1.5 million paying subscribers and took in revenue of $420 million last year.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More