Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey of Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy: Just one of the ABC shows on its way to Hulu. But does it matter? ABC
 

by Linda Holmes

Today, we learned that ABC shows, as well as some other Disney-controlled content, will be coming to Hulu.com. Until now, ABC shows have been available primarily through the network's own site, ABC.com.

That means that, with NBC and Fox having been the original partners, of the four major broadcast networks, only CBS is staying out of the Hulu deal. (They stream episodes of some shows -- though not as many as other networks -- at both CBS.com and TV.com.)

So: Is this significant?

The interface, the selection, and strength in numbers, after the jump...

Why it is: Hulu has a great interface -- easier than the streaming that's been possible through ABC.com, which required you to download a player (boo!). When you start to talk about three out of four networks, you're inching toward "Hulu is where you watch network television shows," rather than "some shows are available on Hulu," and that's big for the site and big for the network.

It's also big for viewers who like to get their content in one place, who don't like hassling a separate site with a separate set of controls.

Why it isn't: This isn't a major move as far as what you can easily watch. ABC was an early adopter of streaming its current shows, so it's unlikely that vast swaths of people have always wanted to watch Grey's Anatomy or Lost online but haven't found their way to ABC.com.

It's also not entirely clear yet how wise it is to convince people to watch your content on ad-supported streaming sites instead of on their televisions anyway, and cable companies are beginning to push hard to limit free online viewing, so it's not clear how long the current model is likely to last.

The verdict: Significant. For good or for ill, adding the enormous quantity of content at ABC/Disney to an already-growing site is going to shift the landscape. As Hulu gets more powerful, resistance to it (like from the aforementioned cable companies) is likely to increase, and consumer concern about one company controlling the majority of online network viewing could ramp up as well.

categories: Internet, Is This Significant?, Television

3:45 - April 30, 2009

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