Viacom Returns Programs to Hulu

Agreement makes some shows free, others on Hulu Plus Programs back on

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/2/2011 8:24:46 PM

Hulu and Viacom said they reached an agreement that will return The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and other popular shows from Viacom's cable networks to the video Web site.

Under the deal, announced late Wednesday, full episodes and clips of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will be available, supported by advertising on Hulu's free to consumers service.  Viacom will make a number of other current shows, including Jersey Shore, Tosh.0, Manswers and Hot in Cleveland available to Hulu Plus subscribers 21 days after they air.

Hulu Plus subscribers will be able to watch shows from Viacom's librarary, including Chappelle's Show and Beavis & Butthead.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Hulu is owned by News Corp., Walt Disney Co., and Comcast, which gave up NBC Universal's decision making power as part its agreement to acquire NBC Universal.

Last March, Viacom removed Daily Show, Colbert and other Comedy Central shows from Hulu. At the time, Daily Show was the third most watched show on Hulu, which had reached an initial deal with Viacom in 2008.

At the time, officials said Viacom and Hulu could not reach an agreement on how much Viacom would be paid for its content.

"We are very pleased to partner with Hulu in a way that recognizes the value of our strong brands and the passionate young fans who are attracted to our content," Philippe Dauman, CEO of Viacom, said in a statement. "The Hulu Plus service offers us the opportunity to connect with our audiences through an exciting subscription and ad supported platform that is complementary to our existing distribution arrangements.  This innovative agreement allows us to benefit from the success and expansion of Hulu and we look forward to bringing our popular content to their growing audience."