What does it take to add a third player to a joint venture between two media conglomerates? More than four months of negotiations. Tens of millions of dollars help, too. That’s what finally got Disney to join up with GE’s NBC and News Corp.’s Fox in Hulu, the fast-growing Web video site. Here’s what that means for the three networks and the rest of the Web video business.
A deal to bring Disney’s TV shows and movies to Hulu has supposedly been imminent for weeks. But people familiar with the negotiations between Disney and the video site insist that discussions are now very, very advanced and that a deal could be struck any day. At this point, I’m told, Disney and Hulu, the joint venture between GE’s NBC and News Corp.’s Fox, are haggling over the finer points in the tie-up: Details like which Disney shows and channels will be included in the pact and how many seats Disney will get on the joint venture’s board. And opponents of the deal are plotting their next moves.
It’s not layoff news, and it’s not an April Fools prank: The Onion has won a Peabody, one of journalism’s most highfalutin awards. Which gives me the opportunity to run some entertaining videos. Cheers!
TV and Web video executives have been trying to figure out why Disney’s Bob Iger is willing to consider an exclusive deal with Hulu. One possible answer: So he can hear what Google, Comcast and everyone else have to offer, too.
Sling.com will soon get Viacom shows like “SpongeBob Squarepants,” which you can see on Joost but not on Hulu or YouTube. Confused? Of course you are. And Hollywood wonders why pirate sites are popular.
Peter Kafka has been covering media and technology since 1997, when he joined the staff of Forbes magazine. Most recently, he has been the managing editor of the tech and media Web site, Silicon Alley Insider. Read more »
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