Hulu, which is set to be controlled by Disney with a 60% stake, announced today that it added 8 million subscribers in 2018 and closed its fiscal year with more than 25 million total subscribers across its subscription on demand (SVOD) and live TV plans in the U.S. Today’s news marks a 48% subscriber increase year over year and catapults Hulu’s customer reach beyond that of the country’s largest cable and satellite pay TV providers.
What They Are Saying:
- Hulu CEO Randy Freer: “Consumers have spoken loudly about their desire for more choice and control in their TV experience. They are seeing the enormous benefits of streaming, they’re deciding which content and brands are most important to them, and they’re choosing Hulu. In 2018, Hulu led the industry in attracting and engaging subscribers, building a powerful technology stack and cultivating a brand that both consumers and advertisers love. Looking ahead, Hulu is in the best position to be the #1 choice for TV – live and on-demand, with and without commercials, both in and out of the home.”
Hulu Fun Facts:
- Viewers who subscribe to Hulu + Live TV actually spend 50% of their time watching on-demand or recorded programming
- Hulu expanded its on-demand library to over 85,000 episodes in 2018.
- Hulu Originals received 27 Emmy nominations in 2018.
- Subscribers can watch 80% of last year’s Emmy-nominated programming on Hulu.
- Hulu now has local affiliate support for over 970 local live stations.
- Hulu grew its advertising revenue more than 45% to nearly $1.5 billion and increased its advertiser base by 50%.
- The average time spent on Hulu per subscriber each month increased 20% in 2018.
- The median age of a Hulu viewer is 32 – nearly 25 years younger than the average broadcast TV viewer (56).
- The average annual household income of a Hulu viewer rose to $93,000 in 2018.
- Looking at the top 100 shows on Hulu, over half of all viewing sessions consist of 3 or more episodes of the same series.
- Hulu Documentaries Minding The Gap and Crime + Punishment, which both debuted in 2018, were recently named to the Oscar Documentary Feature shortlist earlier this month.
- Minding The Gap was named “Best Documentary” by the 2018 New York Film Critics Circle, received the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and has maintained a 100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes ever since its debut.
- Following its two Golden Globe wins for Season 1, Hulu’s hit drama The Handmaid’s Tale returned in Season 2 with a +76% increase in total consumption compared to Season 1.
- Castle Rock was Hulu’s highest performing new original of 2018 (by both reach and consumption) and was the second-highest performing Hulu Original overall this year, behind only The Handmaid’s Tale.