Hulu is aiming to compete with Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Their sources indicate that Hulu is developing a platform that will allow subscribers to live stream cable channels and other broadcasts for about $40 a month.
The Hulu’s Live TV platform will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2017, or less than a year from now. Licensing agreements are nearing completion according to The Wall Street Journal ’s sources, with Disney and Fox, who co-own Hulu with Comcast, willing to sign over the rights to broadcast channels such as ABC, the Disney Channel, ESPN, Fox News, FX and Fox.
People have assumed Apple would be the ones bringing internet-based live TV to the market, but other than miscellaneous rumors, Cupertino has remained silent on the possibility. Instead, especially considering the creation of the tvOS App Store and the release of the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple seems to be focused on being a vehicle for third-party apps, like Hulu.
There is however a rumor floating around indicating that Apple may be planning to unveil a video service that offers exclusive, creative content, similar to YouTube Red or even Apple’s own take on radio with Beats 1.
