Hulu Expands Pay-TV Window Rights With Neon Movie Pact

21 Apr, 2017 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Hulu April 21 announced a multiyear output licensing agreement for all upcoming theatrical films and content released via upstart distributor Neon.

The distributor released its first feature, Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal, April 7. The company recently announced the launch of a short-film division (Neon shorts), which brings back the long-honored tradition of combining feature films with shorts.

Neon was an active buyer at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, acquiring Michael Larnell’s Roxanne Roxanne, winner of the Special Jury Breakthrough Performance Award; Matt Spicer’s Ingrid Goes West, winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and Eliza Hittman’s Beach Rats, winner of the Directing Award, U.S Dramatic.

The distributor recently acquired French-language Belgian thriller Racer and the Jailbird; Errol Morris’ SXSW audience sensation The B-side; Aaron Katz’s Gemini; and Academy Award winning director (documentary Citizenfour) Laura Poitras’s Risk.

"Our partnership … marks another big step forward in our commitment to offering a world class collection of films to our subscribers,” Craig Erwich, SVP and head of content at Hulu, said in a statement. “Neon has already acquired a highly-anticipated slate of films this year and we can’t wait to bring their titles from the theaters to the Hulu audience.”

Hulu is co-owned by Disney, Fox, Comcast and Time Warner and has about 15 million subscribers. 

The new deal underscores Hulu’s continued efforts to double down on film programming and follows of a string of pay-TV window output agreements with independent distributors, including Annapurna Pictures, Magnolia Pictures and IFC Films for documentaries.

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