Hulu Plus Gets Some 'Chrome'

2 Oct, 2013 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Hulu Oct. 2 said its Hulu Plus app is now available on Google’s Chromecast streaming device.

Chromecast is a $35 USB-powered device that streams content from phones, tablets and laptops to any TV with an HDMI connection. The Hulu Plus app makes it easier to control the subscription video-on-demand service on the TV.

Once connected, a tap on the mobile device screen allows users to scroll through and watch their favorite TV shows. The custom remote enables users to play, pause and rewind 10 seconds video content. Video can also be paused from the lock screen or notification tray on a Android device or tablet, including iPad. An iPhone-compatible app is in the works.

“Our teams in Santa Monica, Calif., and Beijing have worked closely with Google to develop a seamless Hulu Plus experience that offers an exciting new way to engage with the shows you love most, via Chromecast,” Karan Nischol, senior product manager with Hulu, wrote in a blog post.

A Parks Associates study found that 34% of Chromecast owners are streaming content from Hulu to their TV every day. Forty-three percent are streaming Netflix on a daily basis.

John Barrett, director of consumer analytics for Parks Associates, said Chromecast is giving consumers a way to circumvent screen restrictions for TV content.

“Chromecast is giving people in Hollywood headaches right now,” he said. “All the wrangling over licensing restrictions doesn’t mean much if consumers can simply circumvent them.

Barrett said the content from Hulu Plus service is available for viewing on a TV set, but content from the free Hulu service has been technologically constrained to computers. But among those watching Hulu monthly on a TV set via a Chromecast device, roughly 50% are using only the free services from Hulu.

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