Hulu has 17 Million subscribers in the U.S. And Netflix has 56.7 Million subscribers in the U.S. And recently, it seems like Hulu is pushing for more subscribers to close that gap. Hulu is making 3 moves that could increase their subscriber numbers and close the gap on Netflix.

1. Signing new marketing partnerships
2. Providing special offers to new Hulu subscribers
3. Investing in Original shows

The competition between streaming media providers is heating up. Home TV entertainment is a MULTI-BILLION dollar industry. And it looks like Hulu wants to aggressively compete in the home entertainment industry.

Hulu is Pushing for More Subscribers

1.) New Marketing Partnerships

Hulu Sponsors NBA Playoff Series on TNT (April 13, 2018)

Hulu has signed a deal to sponsor TNT’s coverage of the NBA’s First Round, Conference Semifinals, and Western Conference Finals. “Presented by Hulu” will appear on video graphics, billboards, and scoreboards during playoff games.

Spotify Premium – Now with Hulu (April 11, 2018)

Spotify and Hulu agree to a new marketing partnership that bundles the Spotify Premium Music package and the Hulu Limited Commercials packages into a single bundle.

In a new subscription package called Spotify Premium – Now with Hulu, Spotify Premium and Hulu Limited Commercials are a bundled subscription plan billed to your Spotify account. The Spotify Premium – Now with Hulu costs $12.99 per month.

Official Sponsor of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals (April 10, 2018)

Hulu is an official sponsor of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals.

This partnership brings attention to Hulu’s Live TV service and Hulu’s commitment to streaming sports.

The extensive (Hulu) partnership includes a national marketing campaign across all League touchpoints including the NHL’s digital and social channels, as well as camera-visible, in-stadium inventory within all U.S. venues. As part of the agreement, Hulu has also partnered with the National Hockey League Players’ Association to create a number of video vignettes that will showcase some NHL stars and help drive awareness for Hulu as a streaming option for the 2018 Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

Hulu’s partnership includes sponsorship of the Stanley Cup Playoffs pre-game shows on NBC Sports.

How-To Watch The NHL Playoffs 2018

The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (March 01, 2018)

The Madison Square Garden Company and Hulu announced a marketing partnership that includes naming rights to the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The Theater at Madison Square Garden Theater will be renamed to “The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.”

The marketing partnership includes new Hulu branded signs for the theater, as well as other marketing rights for promotions and tickets.

2.) Special offers to new Hulu subscribers

Spotify Premium – Now with Hulu for 99-cents Per Month (3 Months)

For a limited time, Spotify Premium eligible subscribers can take advantage of a 99-cent promotional offer to try the Hulu Limited Commercials plan for three months, then $12.99 per month. Spotify Premium – Now with Hulu will be available this summer.

HBO on Hulu for $4.99 Per Month (6 Months)

Add HBO for $4.99 per month for 6 months to ANY Hulu plan, then the regular price of $14.99 per month. Also, you can create a HBO NOW profile and watch HBO on demand content using the HBO NOW app. To find out how, go to help.hbonow.com.

Hulu Free Trial Offers

• Hulu Limited Commercials – First Month Free Trial
• Hulu No Commercials– First Month Free Trial
• Hulu Live TV – First Week Free Trial

3.) Original shows

Hulu is investing in more Hulu Original shows and movies. Each year, the number of Original shows Hulu creates increases. And the quality of those shows continues to improve.

At the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (September 2017), Hulu won an Emmy for the drama series The Handmaid’s Tale. And The Handmaid’s Tale went on to win two awards at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards (January 2018).

Hulu has 28 Original shows that include The Handmaid’s Tale, The Path, Marvel’s Runaways, The Looming Tower, 11.22.63, Hard Sun, and Future Man.

Upcoming Hulu Original shows include Catch-22, Castle Rock, and The First. 

Hulu and IFC Films Announce New Output Deal (January 25, 2018)

And more Hulu Originals are coming.

Hulu and IFC Films has announced that Hulu will have exclusive streaming rights to both current and future films from IFC Films, Sundance Selects, and IFC Midnight.

This quote from Hulu’s VP of Acquisition Lisa Holme shows how committed Hulu is to content.

“We are committed to curating a collection of critically-acclaimed and fan favorite films on Hulu,” said Hulu’s VP of Acquisition Lisa Holme. “IFC Films consistently delivers award-winning, popular films, and they have been one of our longest-standing film partners. We look forward to expanding our relationship in a way that will bring even more highly-sought-after and new titles to our viewers.”

Streaming Services Subscriber Numbers

There is lots of evidence that the number of subscribers to streaming services is large and growing. Here is a breakout of subscriber totals from the largest streaming TV entertainment and content providers.

Subscribers for Non-Live TV Streaming Content U.S.

• Netflix – 56.7 Million Subscribers (125 Million Worldwide)
• Hulu – 17 Million Subscribers

Subscribers for Live TV Streaming Content

1. Sling TV – 2.2 Million subscribers
2. DIRECTV NOW – 1.2 Million subscribers
3. Playstation Vue (PS Vue) – 450,000 to 670,000 subscribers
4. Hulu Live TV – 450,000 subscribers
5. YouTube TV – 300,000 subscribers
6. fuboTV – 100,000 subscribers
7. Philo – 50,000 subscribers

Note: All subscription numbers are either unofficial or estimated. Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV estimates are courtesy of CNBC. Playstation Vue estimate of 670,000 subscribers courtesy of Ben Bajarin. Philo subscriber estimate from Wikipedia. DIRECTV NOW, fuboTV, Hulu, and Sling TV self-disclosed their subscriber estimates.