Hulu confirms plan to stream live TV next year

Starting next year, Hulu won't just be the place you go to watch day-old TV shows — it'll also be the place you go to see them airing live. Hulu announced this morning that it's going to begin offering subscribers the ability to stream "live programming from broadcast and cable brands" in 2017. That'll include "live sports, news, and events," Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins said. Hulu's subscribers won't be required to have a traditional cable TV subscription in order to watch.

Hulu will announce more details throughout the year

Hopkins' comments confirm what The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, saying that Fox, ABC, ESPN, FX, and the Disney Channel were all involved in negotiations. That makes Hulu's service sound much more like a full-on cable competitor — something that would be offered on top of Hulu's existing subscription service — though Hopkins didn't go into detail on how it would work. Later on Wednesday, Fox executives confirmed that they're working with Hulu to participate in the service. On the company's quarterly earnings call, the executives described what Hulu's working on as a "reimagined" streaming TV product that combines programming from local affiliates and cable networks.

For now, Hulu has only confirmed the broad strokes of its live TV service, saying what type of content will be available and that it intends to offer a "deeply personalized experience." But Hopkins did make reference to the Journal's report, which suggests that it likely isn't far off. He opened his remarks on the subject by saying, "You may have read recently that in early 2017, Hulu will begin offering subscribers live programming from broadcast and cable brands." Hopkins says that Hulu will discuss the service in more detail over the rest of the year.