Hulu is undergoing a name change. Citing confused customers not understanding the difference between Hulu and Hulu Plus, the company is changing superficially.
The funny thing is that the name change actually leads to more confusion. Hulu Plus was the paid subscription side of Hulu. You only needed to pay to watch content on non-computer devices such as set top boxes, tablets, and phones or to access limited content that you did not have access to through a partner TV provider. Now, with the name change, you will still need to pay for that access, it’s just named Hulu, not Hulu Plus.
Comments around the web seem to be mostly expressing disappointment that Hulu didn’t actually change what mattered – the focus being paying for the service but still receiving ads with your videos. Not only ads but ads from a limited pool, so they are often annoyingly repeated. Hulu’s ownership ties to the TV industry prevent it from being truly disruptive but the CEO has previously mentioned reducing the amount of ads viewed per minute of content as Hulu ads are forced more than YouTube.
Here is the email that Hulu sent out to subscribers today:
We’ve had a blast with our old friend Plus but it’s time to move on.
We just wanted to let you know that we are retiring the Hulu Plus name. From now on, we will just be known as Hulu. No “Plus.”
Though the name is changing, your subscription is not. You’ll still be a subscriber with all the benefits that come with that. You can keep on watching your favorite shows on all your devices — without having to change a thing. Same great stuff. Slightly different name.
Thanks for watching!
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Hulu
