Hulu, regarded as Netflix's chief competitor in the online video streaming arena, could end up under the wing of a new owner soon.
Several outlets over the last day or so have speculated about the company's future after the L0s Angeles Times broke the news that Hulu management had hired investment banks Guggenheim Partners and Morgan Stanley - a move the publication believes speaks volumes about the company's current state. A sale, the Times points out, means fellow Hulu stakeholders NBCUniversal, News Corp., Providence Equity Partners and the Walt Disney Company want out. Hulu was launched in 2008.
The big question now is who will buy Hulu. Various outlets have pondered just that.
One company allegedly interested is Yahoo. Reports about the internet giant's intentions are admittedly unsubstantiated and come from unnamed sources, but managed to spark speculation nonetheless. Some believe Google might be a perfect new home for Hulu, citing its merely "modest success" with a YouTube premium service. The Seattle Post Intelligencer posted a strong argument why Microsoft should snatch up the video streamer as soon as possible, proposing that the Redmond-based company could incorporate its newfangled NUads (due next spring) and attempts to mold its Xbox Live online platform into a more TV entertainment-centric experience into Hulu.
Regardless of the potential change in management, the company is still making headway with its subscription-based Hulu Plus. On Wednesday Rob Wong, Hulu's Director of Product Management, announced at the company's blog that it had finally released an official Hulu Plus app for six Android-enabled smartphones - with more promised in the future.
Who do you think will end up buying Hulu? Let us know in the comment section.
