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Hulu Website Opens to the PublicPOSTED March 12, 2008 LOS ANGELES -- Hulu, an online video service, has emerged from beta and announced the public launch of its Web site at http://www.hulu.com. Anyone in the U.S. can go to Hulu.com to watch a large selection of hit TV shows, movies, clips and more in high-quality anytime, for free. In addition, Hulu announced new content partnerships with the Warner Bros. Television Group, Lionsgate, NBA, NHL and more than 20 other top content providers. New content additions to Hulu's library will include: feature films like The Usual Suspects and Ice Age, shows like Dirt, The Incredible Hulk, Babylon 5, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Dick Van Dyke Show, nightly highlights, top plays and full-length games from the NBA and the NHL, popular made for web programming such as Prom Queen and Onion News Network, and much more. Hulu was founded in March 2007 by NBC Universal and News Corp and is operated independently with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Beijing. Hulu closed a $100 million investment from private equity firm Providence Equity Partners in October 2007. On Hulu.com, consumers can enjoy one of the largest selections of legal, free videos from more than 50 top broadcast networks, cable networks, movie studios and web-centric content providers. Hulu's library offers full-length episodes from more than 250 TV series - from current hits like The Simpsons, The Office and Prison Break to classics like Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Miami Vice. In addition, Hulu offers 100 full-length feature films such as The Big Lebowski, Me, Myself & Irene, Some Like It Hot, Mulholland Drive and Three Amigos!. Hulu also provides short clips from 150 more TV series like Saturday Night Live and In Living Color as well as 50 additional films such as Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine, Die Hard, Vertigo, and The Mummy. "Today, Hulu is crossing a milestone in its mission to help people find and enjoy the world's premium content, when where and how they want it," said Jason Kilar, chief executive officer of Hulu. "With full-length episodes of current and archived television shows, feature films, sports and news, we believe the Hulu service is a step forward in giving consumers entertainment on their terms." "Hulu helps fans find great content wherever they are online," said Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer, News Corporation. "With tools that make sharing easy, Hulu encourages viral distribution. At the same time, Hulu's distribution partners are some of the most visited on the Web, engaging consumers where they are already spending their time. This is a powerful combination." "Hulu.com's impressive content line up and user experience are equally important in bringing consumers back again and again," said Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer, NBC Universal. "These are the same attributes that make Hulu attractive to major brands. Both groups see the value in a quality, clutter-free online service." The Hulu.com Web site was created to bring together the widest selection of premium video with an elegant, easy-to-use interface. Focused on the video viewing experience, Hulu.com streams videos in high-quality and offers additional tools to enhance the viewing experience, including full-screen view, a pop-out window, a 'lower lights' feature and much more. Hulu.com offers features that enable users to easily clip, share and embed videos on other Web sites, including blogs and social networking sites. Additionally, Hulu.com's search feature also helps users to find legal, premium video online even if it is not directly available on Hulu.com. Hulu.com has been in private beta since October 2007. The
response from users during the 18 week test period has exceeded
expectations. Over 5 million viewers have watched videos in the
past 30 days via Hulu.com or its extensive distribution network.
This network includes Hulu's partner sites (AOL, Comcast's Fancast.com,
MSN, MySpace and Yahoo!) and other Web sites where users have
embedded Hulu videos. During this beta period, more than 50,000
Hulu video players have been embedded on nearly 6,000 sites across
the Web. Additionally, Hulu has more than quadrupled the number
of show and movie titles in its library since private beta testing
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