Hulu is going abroad. The company has announced that it will go international and expand to Japan. The Japanese version of the site is expected to come later in the year, but unlike the American version, it is going to be a subscription service.
“Japanese audiences are passionate about premium video content, and the country is a major producer of world-class TV and feature films,” Johannes Larcher wrote in a blog post announcing the expansion.
“In Japan, we also see an unfulfilled market need with respect to premium feature film and TV content, and very favorable environmental factors to a service like ours, including extensive broadband penetration, smart phone and other internet-connected device ubiquity, and strong consumer interest.”
It is unknown what content and format will be present in this version of Hulu – it could be similar in the US and have a mixture of archived shows and recently-aired-on-Japanese-television shows, or will it follow the BBC and just hold archive content. In addition, will it just air content from the American studios or will it also open up to Japanese producers?
However, with this expansion in the Asia Pacific, it is more likely that Australia could be next in their sights – if they can get the right deals with the broadcasters.