Popular streaming service Hulu is now available to customers in Japan, as part of the company’s first international expansion.
Japanese viewers will not have free access to Hulu.com, but rather its Hulu Plus service, in which content can be accessed on the web, via connected devices and video game consoles, and on smartphones and tablets.
Hulu has secured licensing deals with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Japan, Warner Bros., NBC Universal and CBS. The company, which is currently on the sales block, says it will be working to bring Japanese-produced content to the service, as well as content from across the Asian region.
The price of Hulu in Japan is ¥1,480 per month, or the equivalent of $19.99. That’s more than twice the price of Hulu’s U.S. offering, but considering all the international licensing deals, it’s probably a bargain for Japanese consumers who want access to American content.
On its blog, Hulu notes it has localized its user experience, by making the service available in both Japanese and English. Hulu Japan has also partnered with NTT Docomo, Japan’s largest mobile carrier. The details of this partnership haven’t been released yet, but we imagine it will likely integrate well with NTT Docomo’s other offerings.
During its last quarterly earnings call, Netflix mentioned plans for international expansion. Rather than going after markets like Japan that have a well-entrenched digital ecosystem, Netflix will first target Latin America. It’s clear that in this new world of content distribution, international partnerships are going to become important, if not essential.
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Posted on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:39:57 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/09/01/hulu-japan-launch/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/09/01/hulu-japan-launch/#comments
Japanese viewers will not have free access to Hulu.com, but rather its Hulu Plus service, in which content can be accessed on the web, via connected devices and video game consoles, and on smartphones and tablets.
Hulu has secured licensing deals with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Japan, Warner Bros., NBC Universal and CBS. The company, which is currently on the sales block, says it will be working to bring Japanese-produced content to the service, as well as content from across the Asian region.
The price of Hulu in Japan is ¥1,480 per month, or the equivalent of $19.99. That’s more than twice the price of Hulu’s U.S. offering, but considering all the international licensing deals, it’s probably a bargain for Japanese consumers who want access to American content.
On its blog, Hulu notes it has localized its user experience, by making the service available in both Japanese and English. Hulu Japan has also partnered with NTT Docomo, Japan’s largest mobile carrier. The details of this partnership haven’t been released yet, but we imagine it will likely integrate well with NTT Docomo’s other offerings.
During its last quarterly earnings call, Netflix mentioned plans for international expansion. Rather than going after markets like Japan that have a well-entrenched digital ecosystem, Netflix will first target Latin America. It’s clear that in this new world of content distribution, international partnerships are going to become important, if not essential.
More About: entertainment, hulu, japan, subscription streaming, tvFor more Media coverage:Follow Mashable Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:39:57 +0000 at http://mashable.com/2011/09/01/hulu-japan-launch/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/09/01/hulu-japan-launch/#comments