Rejoice, all ye binge-watching enthusiasts: Hulu has announced a new plan that will let you watch without commercials.
Hulu announces a new commercial-free plan. But not everything is featured in it.
Caroline Framke wrote about culture, which usually means television. Also seen @ The A.V. Club, The Atlantic, Complex, Flavorwire, NPR, the fridge to get more seltzer.
As announced on Hulu’s homepage, the “No Commercial” plan costs $11.99 a month versus the platform’s “Limited Commercial” plan, which is $7.99 a month. Accordingly, the term “Hulu Plus” no longer exists.
This commercial-free option brings Hulu one step closer to becoming the Netflix competitor it wants to be. While $11.99 is more than Netflix’s current $8.99-a-month price tag, Hulu is betting that people will pay the extra couple bucks to keep current with the upcoming fall television season, without the commercials they would otherwise have to sit through. The announcement also comes as a relief to those who complained when they realized Hulu releasing the Seinfeld catalog meant watching Seinfeld with commercials, like some common guttersnipe.
While Seinfeld is safe, though, there are still a few exceptions to the commercial-free plan. The Wall Street Journal reports that Hulu was unable to get the rights to seven shows: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, Grimm, New Girl, and How to Get Away With Murder. Apparently, Disney and Shonda Rimes know how to negotiate.
