Time Warner Buys 10% of Hulu

Time Warner and Hulu have finally come to a deal that will allow Time Warner to buy part of Hulu. The deal gives Time Warner 10% of hulu as they join Disney, Fox, and Comcast as owners.

“The investment in Hulu reflects Time Warner’s continued commitment to supporting innovative digital services that allow consumers to access high-quality content however they want it across a variety of platforms,” Time Warner said Wednesday. (Note: Time Warner has no relationship with Time Warner Cable that is now owned by Charter.)

The Hulu investment “underscores Time Warner’s commitment to supporting and developing new platforms for the delivery of high-quality content and great consumer experiences to audiences around the globe” CEO Jeff Bewkes says.

Hulu’s planned live streaming service, due early 2017, will include Turner’s TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, truTV, Boomerang and Turner Classic Movies.

Yet not everyone seems happy at Time Warner as HBO CEO says channel is in “constructive conversations” about being included in Hulu’s service.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal would likely involve the current owners, who own one-third each, drawing down their stakes to 25%. Yet unlike Hulu’s founding partners, Time Warner won’t be contributing its programming to Hulu’s existing service, which provides access to shows a day after they air; Time Warner has argued that “repeat TV” services like Hulu’s basic service, as well as Netflix, detract from the value of its core TV business. Leaving many to think Time Warner mostly wants Hulu for their future live TV service coming in 2017.

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