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    Hulu launches $12 ad-free streaming service

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments733 Views
    This Saturday, June 27, 2015 photo shows the Hulu logo on a window at the Milk Studios space in New York, where a replica of the "Seinfeld" set was on display, in New York. (AP Photo/Dan Goodman)
    SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) --

    Video-streaming company Hulu is introducing an ad-free version of its subscription service for $4 extra a month as competition for streaming customers heats up.

    The service with ads costs $8 and the ad-free version costs $12. The company said customers asked for an ad-free option.

    Competition is getting tougher among video-streaming services as providers seek to add more offerings to attract viewers.

    On Tuesday, Amazon said subscribers of its $99 annual Prime membership program will be able to download some shows and movies to watch offline. Users will now be able to download shows like "Downton Abbey" and "The Good Wife," HBO shows including "Girls" and "Veep" and movies including "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "The Wolf of Wall Street." Previously, that capability was available only on Amazon's own Fire devices.

    Netflix and Hulu offer streaming content only.

    Netflix is the largest streaming service, with 65.6 million subscribers worldwide. Hulu has about 9 million and Amazon doesn't disclose the number of Prime subscribers it has.

    Hulu has been working to expand its content lineup. It recently signed a deal with Epix to stream films from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount. And it lets subscribers stream Showtime content for an additional $9 a month.

    Tags:Hulu



    Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with 2 Swift-inspired films airing this season

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)

    Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.

    "Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

    "It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.

    She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."

    Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.

    "There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."

    Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.

    In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.

    Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More

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