Hulu Claims 48% Jump to 25M Subscribers

Hulu said that it added 8 million subscribers in 2018, a 48% increase and now more than 25 million signed up.

The streaming company, soon to be controlled by The Walt Disney Co., with Comcast and AT&T owning minority stakes, noted that it is bigger than any of cable and satellite operators in the U.S,

Ad revenue grew 45% to $1.5 billion and it increased the number of brands advertising on the service by 50%

“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,” said Hulu CEO Randy Freer. “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.”

The average time spent on Hulu by subscribers rose 205 in 2018 and the median age on Hulu is 32--far younger than the traditional broadcast networks. Average income of a Hulu viewers is $93,000.

Hulu viewers binge watch. Looking at Hulu’s top 100 shows, half of the times a subscriber tunes in, he’s watching three or more episodes..

Hulu said that 50% of time spent watching by people who subscribe to the Hulu + Live TV streaming service was with on-demand or recorded content.

Adding all that content has come at a cost. According to filings by its parent company, Hulu is losing hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.